Kidnapped A Journey of Love and Hate
by Shizza24
Summary: Princess Yuuki Kuran's perfectly royal life takes a 180 turn when she is kidnapped by pirates, notorious across the seven seas for their atrocious ways. Led by Captain Zero Kiryuu, the pirates are a menacing sight. But is there more than meets the eye?
1. The Journey Begins

A collaboration with my friend Bloodredhead.

**Summary**

Princess Yuuki Kuran of the Kingdom of Elelacia thought it would be a night to remember, and it most certainly was, but for different reasons then she had hoped or expected. Kidnapped by rude and bloodthristy pirates was the last thing she thought would ever happen to her. But could there be more to the pirates then meets the eye? Are all the rumours about them true? And the most puzzling thing of all is that of the Captain, a certain silver haired young man by the name of Zero Kiryu, what could be his story?

Guess you will have to step on board to find out as we set sail on our story.

**Note**

Reviews and constructive criticism will be greatly appreciated, though any flames will be used to toast our marshmallows, while we sail the high seas with our sexy pirates.

So lets begin our voyage with the first chapter.

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><p>A graceful eagle, colored in mahogany, soared through the brilliant twilight, piercing the air as it spread its wings - wide, fearless… <em>free… <em>Reflected in eyes dyed in a similar mahogany light, the eagle fled above the oceans, disappearing into the horizon where the setting sun met cool waters in a colorful union of fire and ice. Standing in the balcony opening from her room, a young girl gasped at the beauty of this sight, her dark eyes glistening with delight as the winds danced around her long, auburn locks. She took a few steps ahead as the breeze got stronger, reaching at the edge of the opening where elaborate wooden railings barred her from going any further. To be able to soar through the skies without any fear or restraint, she could only wonder how it felt; her arm was now extended in the air, as if attempting to catch the remnants of the eagle's flight.

"Yuuki-sama!" a worried but elegant voice interrupted her thoughts as Yuuki turned around to see Ruka standing in the doorway. "Only a few hours are left till the ball. I would suggest you to please stop wasting your time and let us prepare you."

As she tugged at the skirts of her tea pink dress, a sheepish smile covered Yuuki's face. "Right, I'm sorry Ruka-san." Her voice had a tint of embarrassment. "I'll be over right away." Collecting her skirts, she hurried off inside.

Tonight was indeed one of the most important nights for Yuuki Kuran, princess to the Kingdom of Elelacia. For at the ball this evening, she would be officially engaged to her beloved Kaname, crown prince to the throne as well as the cousin she had been betrothed to at birth. A faint blush colored Yuuki's cheeks as she remembered his proposing to her at the rose garden behind the castle. Even though she had known they'd marry each other from the start, his bending down on one knee and presenting her a beautiful diamond ring that graced her ring finger now, were gestures that made her heart flutter with happiness every time she recalled them. Tonight, she would be officially his; Yuuki chuckled at the thought, another one quickly replacing it: determination, for she would _not_ screw this up, no matter what.

Presenting herself as royalty was not one of Yuuki's strong points, mildly put. In fact, Yuuki was sure she was the most un-ladylike princess that had ever ruled Elelacia. Standing in front of the mirror of the dressing room, she looked at her, now dressed up self; she was relieved to see that at least her looks weren't failing her tonight. Her faint lavender dress was gracefully framing a slim yet beautiful figure, satin sleeves forming curves around her arms and frills trailing their way from her waist down to the hem of her skirts. Her hair, decorated in moonlit pearls, were falling down in smooth mahogany wisps, framing her round face and accentuating the color in her eyes. She walked around the room, testing her stride in her new lilac heels, mentally going over every single word of advice Ruka had given her. She could do this. It took every bit of her energy to push aside her discomfort at royal gatherings, replacing it with the determination to do it right.

A knock on the door interrupted her thoughts and she looked up to see Kaname entering the room, his lips curved in a loving smile. Masking her worries with a charming smile, Yuuki returned his warm embrace as he came up to her and held her gently in his arms. Pulling her back he glanced at her, his gaze quickening her heartbeat.

"You look gorgeous, my dear." His voice was as soft as silk. She ducked her head down, trying to cover her embarrassment at his compliment, feeling elated that he approved of her. "I am sorry for putting you through this though; I know you're not comfortable in royal gatherings."

"Not at all Kaname." She asserted him with a reinforced smile. "I promise I won't let you down tonight. Besides, I am sure all of the guests are very nice people. So don't worry about me, okay." Kaname let out a small chuckle before bending down to place a gentle kiss on her lips, their intimacy deepening the color in her cheeks and intensifying her pulse. She knew she could do this. For their sake, she would.

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><p>The ball was every bit as disconcerting and uncomfortable as she had feared it to be. Walking in a crowd of familiar and unfamiliar faces, even she could see the bitterness concealed under their welcoming gestures. The aristocrats and nobles only wanted to take advantage of the positions held by the Kurans; their daughters, who were supposedly Yuuki's "friends", were simply jealous at her better luck. After responding to hundreds of cold handshakes, unfriendly embraces, hollow greetings and bitter smiles, Yuuki felt her discomfort was getting hard to ignore. Even though the ballroom was elegantly capacious and elaborately large, she still felt its walls closing in on her. She searched through the room for Kaname, but to no avail for she knew he must be meeting with his council members, discussing matters of the kingdom's interest and things she never quite understood.<p>

Her panic level ameliorated as guest after guest assaulted her with complimentary but cold remarks on her way, making her squirm in her spot; the heels were getting more uncomfortable to walk in with every passing minute. Finding a corner to retreat to was all she was asking for at this point, when her eyes landed on a certain guest she had not expected to show up. As Yori's eyes met hers, the two girls all but ran to each other. Holding her childhood friend close, Yuuki had never felt happier.

"How have you been Yori? I am so happy to see you! I thought you were out of town. But I am glad you came!" relief washed over her face.

"I've been doing well, Yuuki. It's so great to see you too and congratulations! I am so happy for you." She giggled at Yuuki's embarrassed smile, before continuing. "I only returned last week; I should have informed you of my arrival. You tell me, how have you been? The royal ball isn't wearing you down is it?"

"It's alright. And yes it is rather uncomfortable. I just wish I could get out of this just for a short while. I need a break." She confided, before a rather dangerous thought struck her mind. Kaname wouldn't be coming out of his meeting for a good couple hours, and there was still plenty of time in dinner. Taking Yori's arm, she led them to a corner where she was sure no one would overhear, excitement coloring her eyes. "Hey, Yori, you know there is still plenty of time before Kaname returns from his meeting and-"

"Oh lord no, Yuuki, you want to sneak out _again?"_ Yori was not finding the notion as appealing as her best friend was. "You do remember the last time you pulled this don't you? To think you still haven't learned a lesson." She shook her head in defeat.

"Oh Yori, you worry too much. I'm sure no one will notice and I promise I won't be as careless as before. So can we leave for just a short while? _Pleeease?_" Yuuki pleaded. "Come on, I promise I won't mess up this time!" She could almost hear the waves crashing across the shore, and the feel of cool waters mixed with sand under her bare feet was an idea that sent exhilarating chills down her spine. Seeing Yori's defeated expression and heavy sigh, she almost jumped with delight for she knew she had convinced her. A pleasant walk down the shores would be the perfect complement to the night.

Careful not to be noticed, the girls went into the dressing room, and after pulling cloaks over their party wear and replacing heels with sandals, they snuck out from the back door with Yuuki leading the way. Avoiding the guards was going to be tough, but Yuuki had perfected the task over time. It wasn't long before both the girls were tip-toeing out the door of the rose garden, slowly making their way towards the streets.

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><p>The bar was loud, as cheers and noises erupted from every corner. Drunken men went about their vulgar ways, and half naked women swooned over them, bringing rounds of drinks to fuel the night. Occupying the center table in the room, a crew of pirates stood out the most. Clad in a white buttoned up shirt, with sleeves rolled up to his elbows, underneath a sleeveless brown leather jacket, dark grey pants and knee-length buckled up boots, Zero Kiryuu was about sick with the atmosphere of the place.<p>

"Geez, Zero! Why are you so uptight?" He chose not to respond as his twin brother put an arm around his shoulder. "Come on… loosen up a bit and enjoy the night!" Ichiru said, hinting towards a group of girls, clad in mini-dresses, throwing coquettish smiles and furtive glances in their direction.

Averting his eyes and ignoring the advances, Zero turned his head in the other direction. "Leave it Ichiru, I'm not interested." He was in a bad mood, his head slightly dizzy with the alcohol. Business had not been going as well lately and that was one thing that was pissing him off. And Kaito, Cross, Ichiru, Yagari and Jinmu's acting like utterly obnoxious brats tonight wasn't helping either. He had about had enough and was ready to drag their asses out of here and back to the ship before a certain waitress caught his eye.

"Maria-chan!" Ichiru exclaimed in excitement as the petite young girl walked in their direction, wearing a midnight blue, knee-length dress that accentuated her curves. She was now standing in the space between the twins' seats.

"It's indeed a pleasure to have you all here tonight." Maria smiled, her moonstone lilac strands falling straight down the sides of her face. The crew returned her greeting with drunken grins and flirtatious comments. Zero just acknowledged her with a nod.

"My, Zero-kun, you certainly seem off-color tonight. I hope everything is alright." She said, her sweet voice feigning concern.

"You're right Maria-chan!" Cross asserted in his loud, annoying tone "Zero-kun has been rather down lately. Perhaps if you accompany him to his quarters tonight he might cheer up!" He winked at her, making her cheeks turn into a deep pink.

Zero threw one of his nastiest death glares at Cross before Yagari smacked crew's cook in the head. "Irritating idiot, you're not helping anything, so shut up." He said in his authoritative tone.

"But I do have something that would cheer you up, Zero-kun" Maria now had the entire crew's attention. "My informants just told me some, rather interesting information." Besides being the waitress at the bar, Maria also did the job of tipping off the pirates for potential sources of business. Zero listened intently as she continued. "It would seem that a young girl from the royal family was spotted unprotected at the beach about 30 minutes ago. How and why? I do not know. But you do realize that if she fell into the wrong hands, the rich little miss would be worth millions."

A slow smirk crept up Zero's lips as he stood up to address his crew: "Boys, it's time for work."

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><p>After a 15 minute walk from the castle to the beach, Yuuki was now strolling across the outstretched shores, her auburn hair flying with the wind. The cold, watery sand beneath her bare feet, the feel of the winds kissing her cheeks, the serene sound of the ocean splashing across the sands and the starlit night sky; every single aspect of her adventure filled her heart with sheer delight. She turned around to look for Yori, only to realize she must have lost her in her excited sprint. Halting to a stop, she decided to wait for her friend to catch up. It was getting late; she figured it would be best to head back soon. An ominous feeling was starting to creep up her spine, and now that she had had her share of exhilaration, she thought it best to return home.<p>

"Are you lost, little missy?" a husky voice came from behind her and she turned around to see a tall, dark haired man, wearing a sleeveless jacket and pants; he was standing a few feet from her.

Fear gripped Yuuki as she took a step back. "No-", was all she could say when, in a bold move, the young man grabbed her wrist, trying to pull her in his direction.

"Don't worry, miss." He said. "I can take you home." It was clear from his expression that he had no intention of doing so.

"Release my hand!" Yuuki was now fighting the man with everything she had. She pushed and kicked him, but to no avail. However, by smacking his face with her sharp nails, she managed to pull away, tumbling backwards from the impact, though only to collide with what she knew was another man's chest. Eyes wide with horror and her pulse dancing like a frenzied horse, Yuuki looked up to see a tall boy with silver hair that fell all the way down to his shoulders. His eyes were covered in a mask.

"Oh my, quite the stubborn one, aren't we?" His strong arms encircled her now, the air around him reeking of alcohol. "How adorable" he chuckled as he brought his hand up to her mouth, covering it with what seemed like a small handkerchief. A strong aroma suddenly filled Yuuki's nostrils, overwhelming her conscience. Her vision immediately started to blur and in a matter of moments she could see nothing but darkness.

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><p>As consciousness slowly embraced her, Yuuki could hear faint sounds in the background that were getting clearer now. Gradually opening her eyes and adjusting to the light, she winced as a wave of dull pain hit her head, making her a little dizzy. Still half unconscious, she searched her mind in attempt to recall where she was. Yes… at the ball with Kaname… but then she remembered the sea shore… and a couple of men who had attacked her…! Her eyes shot up at the recollection as she suddenly sat up, slowly taking in to her surroundings now. It was a wooden room, dimly lit by gas lamps. A faint tilting of the floor made her realize she was on a ship, the fact quickening her pulse with fear. As she tried to move, she realized her hands and feet were tied with a thick rope, restricting her movements entirely. Looking up, Yuuki was quick to spot a young pirate sitting on a large wooden chair across the opposite wall a few feet from her. His silver hair was partially covered by a tricorn hat of black leather, his collared shirt unbuttoned all the way to the middle of his chest, exposing hard skin and lean muscles. Nearly half his legs were covered by buckled, leather boots. The left side of his neck bore a tattoo and there were piercings in both his ears. But the most captivating features of the young man were his piercing eyes, colored in moonstone lavender, with a tint of silver. The look on his handsome face, however, was of utter disapproval, his stern expression set in stone as he casually examined her, his cold stare sending chills up Yuuki's spine. Judging by his looks, she surmised that he must be the captain of the crew.<p>

She looked around to find the rest of the pirates present in the room as well. All of them had their eyes fixated at her. Yuuki recognized the two men who had attacked her last night and was slightly awed at the fact that one of them looked exactly like the silver haired pirate, though his longer hair and softer expression set him apart from his twin brother. There were three others in the room besides them. One was a tall man with thick, dark curls and an eye-patch covering one of his intense blue eyes; the other was a rather weird looking man with light hair tied in a ponytail and the third one had a deep scar spread across his face. The men were a menacing sight.

"You sure this is the right girl, Kaito?" The captain broke the brief silence; his voice was rough, but had a pleasant ring to it.

"She sure doesn't look like some royalty, but the jewelry off of her is pretty neat. Might as well be a princess." The dark haired man who had assaulted her replied. Wait, her jewelry? She quickly examined her hands to see that her engagement ring was missing, and so were her bracelets, earrings and pearls. The sight of her empty ring finger sent her heart crashing into pieces and she could feel a wave of anger slowly rising within her. "Besides," she looked up at Kaito as he continued: "If she isn't the right girl, we can always sell her off at the usual spot." The mere thought of that notion struck her with a sharp pang of horror, and her eyes were now wide with alarm.

"_pfft…_ " the captain let out a rather amused snort. "Nobody would buy that flat chest." He remarked caustically as his eyes casually wandered that certain area on her body. Yuuki's anger hit the roof and a deep red color tainted her entire face, her heart racing madly at his rude comment. She got even more embarrassed and irked as the rest of the crew nodded in agreement.

"Aw come on guys, you don't have to be so rude." The twin was now leaning down at her, his one hand reaching out to caress her cheek. "She can keep me warm at night." His voice was low and husky, and strands of silver covered his soft lavender gaze. His lips curled into a flirtatious smile, making Yuuki cringe slightly backwards, her heart clenched with fear as horrid thoughts of what they would do to her filled her mind.

"Keep you warm with what?" she turned to look at the man with the eye-patch as he spoke. "She has no meat on her at all. She better be the princess. She's nothing more than shark bait otherwise."

"She can always be our little pet kitty!" the ponytailed man remarked in an irritating voice, his weird smile rather disconcerting. "I find her quite cute."

That was it. Yuuki refused to bear this disgusting attitude any longer. "All of you are the most loathsome men I have ever come across in my life!" she screamed at the top of her lounges. "I demand that you release me this instant! Or be prepared for the consequences!" Her voice didn't sound as threatening as she would want it to, for it was still thick with fear and anxiety. Much to her chagrin, the crew's only reply was a humorous chuckle at her empty threat.

"An unattractive body and a sharp tongue… she's useless." The captain was now on his feet. Taking a few steps forward, he halted right before her, his intense violet gaze tearing down at her fearful mahogany one. But even so, Yuuki refused to avert her eyes. "I am going to ask you only once," his voice was bitter and void of any emotion, "are you the princess of Elelacia or not?"

Yuuki debated on how to answer the question for a brief moment and decided to speak the truth for she knew she didn't want to face the consequences of responding otherwise. "My name is Kuran Yuuki, and yes…. I belong to the royal family." Her reply sent a faint smirk across his face.

"Told you didn't I, Zero?" Kaito said from behind them. _Zero…. _She had heard that name before. It took her but a few moments to recall the rumors that were widespread in Elelacia, rumors about a certain crew of pirates notorious across the seven seas for their malicious acts and atrocious ways. She remembered coming across the name of their captain: Zero Kiryuu, the one who lead those monsters on his ship, White Lily. Crushed by this recent revelation, Yuuki felt a fresh wave of terror flooding through her veins.

"You're… you're the Pirates of… Whi.. White Lily?" her voice was drenched in fear.

"Spot on, _Princess,_" Zero's reply was tainted in a bitter amusement as he ducked down to her eye level, a mischievous grin painted across his face, "we're the ones your mothers used to warn you about."

Yuuki wished with all her hopes that all this was nothing but a terrible nightmare, rather than the groundbreaking reality it seemed to be. She refused to believe that just in a matter of hours, her entire world had taken a 180 degree flip. Frantically searching for a solution to escape, her mind recalled only one name: _Kaname_. Squinting her eyes shut, she desperately called out to him, as if trying to send him a telepathic message through her thoughts. He would surely be searching everywhere for her by now. She knew he would find her and save her from this nightmare, even if it really was her own fault for sneaking off like that. She regretted not listening to Yori, mentally scolding herself for being so reckless. _Just this one time, please let me be saved! I promise I will never step outside the castle walls ever again!_


	2. On Treacherous Waters

**Chapter 2 of our epic voyage is up~! :D**

**So I decided to put up a little info on the pirates:**

**Ship: White Lily**

**Captain – Zero Kiryu**

**First mate – Touga Yagari**

**Cook – Kaien Cross**

**Crew – Kaito, Ichiru, Jinmu and other men (these unnamed men won't be featured much and we probably won't have any significant OCs either)**

**Ages of some characters:**

**Zero: 21 years**

**Yuuki: 20 years**

**Kaname: 26 years**

**Well then I hope you enjoy the journey! :D**

**Vampire Knight belongs to Matsuri Hino**

**Kidnapped belongs to Bloodredhead and Shizza24**

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><p>Yuuki heard a sound of running footsteps, coming towards the room where Zero and his crew had held her captive. The door burst open to reveal a panting and flustered girl, her soft lilac locks ruffled with the wind.<p>

"Maria?" Kaito's expression was as surprised as that of the rest of the crew.

"I'm sorry to climb aboard the ship without permission." Maria started, her breaths coming in small pants as her heart tried to catch up with her. "But I just heard Pittsvale is in danger! Terrible danger! I heard some sailors saying that it might be raided by Rido and his pirates! You've got to go now!" Yuuki felt the air in the room getting cold with the mention of that name.

"We can't leave now!" Kaito exclaimed, breaking the brief silence. "We haven't even started the deal for ransom."

"That will have to wait! Unless you want to see the town burnt to the ground!" Maria cried out."The sailors had no idea when the town would be attacked. For all we know it could be now!"

The atmosphere in the room was getting extremely tense, with several pirates exchanging alarmed looks. "The ransom for this girl may be important, but we can't let anything happen to Pittsvale." Yagari asserted. There were several murmurs and nods from others to this statement. Every one's eyes had now turned to Zero, waiting for his orders. Yuuki felt as if she was hanging from a cliff now; how would this news affect her situation?  
>"We're headed to Pittsvale," Zero said, in an authoritative tone that left little doubt it was a command not a statement. "Yagari, ready the ship to set sail, Ichiru go back to town and gather the rest of the men. Those not here in 30 minutes will be left behind." Yagari and Ichiru both nodded, hurrying towards the door to accomplish their orders.<p>

Zero turned to Maria now. "You should head back, but keep your ears open for more news; send anything important through the usual channels." Maria nodded, giving a quick smile to the silver haired captain before quickly taking her leave.

Though the room was silent in her wake, Yuuki could still feel the tension hanging thick in the air. The news was apparently quite alarming. _Why is this town so important to the pirates? _One possibility clicked her mind. _Maybe they have a treasure horde there and don't want others to get hold of it? _Though a more pressing concern on her conscience was one for herself. What would happen to _her_? The question sent another chill down her spine, and her thoughts were back on Kaname now. Keeping as levelheaded as she could, she tried to appease her ever rising fears by convincing herself he would be coming to her rescue very soon.

Yuuki found her eyes straying in the captain's direction now. His handsome face was covered in a thoughtful expression, his brows meeting each other in a deep frown as he stared at the floor, his lean arms crossed across his chest. He must have felt her eyes on him, for he instantly looked up to lock his gaze with hers, the connection making her pulse rise ever so slightly. She returned his look with an angry glare, turning her head away in a clear statement of annoyance. The captain casually lifted one of his eyebrows; for those who knew him, it was a sign of amusement at his hostage's actions.

"Cross." He called out.

"Yes captain."

"Tie our pompous little princess up good and tight back in the store room." he ordered, a glint of bitterness coloring his eyes ."I don't want a girl wandering around deck."

Yuuki quickly turned around to glower at Zero, seething with anger at the treatment she was getting. She, a princess, being treated like common prisoner? _If Kaname ever saw or even heard this, he would certainly decapitate every single person on this crew! _She thought, making an effortless attempt to vent her anger.

"Of course." came Cross's reply, followed by a nod. Zero then turned and made his way out of the room. "Kaito, Jinmu." He called, making both men follow after him quickly, though not before Kaito glared at her over his shoulder. Yuuki felt heat rising to her cheeks. _How dare he glare at me!_ Her angry eyes then moved to fall on the only person left in the room. Cross seemed to visibly wince under her gaze. "I'm sorry miss, but orders are orders." He apologized. His tone, however, showed no hint of remorse. Yuuki decided there and then: this was the worst day she had ever lived; though she had a feeling her life from there on was not going to get any better.

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><p>Sayori was looking everywhere for Yuuki. <em>Oh why does she always have to wander off? I told her to stay close. Prince Kaname will not be pleased if anything happens to her.<em> Stricken with worry, Yori hurried from stall to stall, street to street keeping her eyes peeled for her young brunette friend. _Maybe she went down to the beach?_ _She does like the sea after all; she may have wandered down there. _With that thought in mind, Yori turned down one side alley and hurriedly moved down towards the beach. When she reached the small hilly path that led to the shore, her eyes quickly scanned the seaside before landing on a small petite frame standing still, staring at the distant horizon.  
>Spotting her companion fairly unharmed, Yori heaved a sigh of relief, beginning to move down the steps towards her friend; however, she stopped when two tall shadows appeared only a few yards from Yuuki, making their way towards the oblivious princess. Yori's heart froze, and so did her feet.<p>

On impulse, her first thought was to run quickly to her friend's side, when the unthinkable happened. The two men grabbed Yuuki and knocked her out, by covering her mouth and nose. Yori stood still on her spot, horrified as her best friend was taken away in the direction of the docks.

Panic gripped her entire being. _What do I do?_ She knew going after them would be fruitless for what could a girl of high birth do against such forceful men. One thought struck her conscience:_ Prince Kaname! _Yori spun around on the spot and ran in the direction she and Yuuki had come, retracing her footsteps as fast as she could, running back to the castle. _I have to tell him before anything worse happens to Yuuki! I won't forgive myself if she gets hurt, why did I not stop her from leaving the ball? I should have known better._ Sayori kept running, tree's, houses, streets, passing by her in a blur.

After what seemed like ages, Yori finally saw the palace ahead of her and could see the light of the ballroom from a distance. She quickened her pace, knowing time was of the essence. She rushed past the guards at the main gate who fortunately recognized her as a guest and let her through. She darted up the gravel path, stones flying in her wake as she rushed to get to the ballroom. Next were the steps, that she took two at a time before bursting in through the doors. Her eyes darted around the room full of people looking for her quarry. _Where are you? _She kept searching till she saw rich chocolate locks in a crowd of people on the other side of the room. _There!_ Yori moved forward quickly, accidentally bumping into some people as she went. "Excuse me." she said her voice trying to rise over the sound of the room as she made her way through he crowd. "Please let me through, I must speak to His Highness!" It was then she heard a voice.

"Miss Wakaba." she looked up to see, two rosewood eyes looking at her.

"Prince Kaname! I have terrible news."

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><p>Zero stood on deck listening to Yagari yelling at some men to get moving, watching the last of his crew return from town. His plans of ransoming off the little princess would have to wait. A more pressing matter was at stake here. Pittsville. Zero sighed heavily, as he ran one hand through his silver mane, glancing out towards the sea. <em>We have to get there before it's too late. Failure is not an option<em>.

"Captain." Zero was pulled out of his thoughts, as he turned to see Yagari standing next to him. "Everyone is on board. We're ready to depart."  
>Zero nodded as he straightened up, moving to stand next to the wheel. "Anchor up laddies." He called, giving orders out for the crew to set sail. "Kaito move those barrels below deck. Jinmu, Ichiru! set the sails. We're heading out to sea."<p>

"Ey ey sir!" the men responded, before hurrying off to their appointed tasks. Heavy feet pounded against the planks, the groan of the ship filling the air as it started to move after being stationary for so long. Zero turned to Yagari now. "We'll make only one stop on our way. We can't afford to waste any time."

"Yeah, It's best to keep our wits about us."

The silver haired captain nodded, his gaze turning back to the deck. "We better not be too late." Zero mumbled as the ship exited the dock, entering into the open sea.

* * *

><p>Standing in one of the Kuran castle's private conference rooms, Yori was now giving a detailed account of the night's events. The moment Kaname had met Yori earlier, he had known the news was one the guests at the ball were better off not knowing. Hence he had ushered her as well as Yuuki's parents, Juri and Haruka Kuran, into one of the castle's conference rooms to discuss the matter privately. Everyone in the room, including him, was stricken with shock and worry.<p>

"Please!" Juri cried, tears running down her cheeks as she pleaded the young Prince. "Save our daughter, I beg of you to bring her home." Haruka put a supportive arm around his wife trying to steady her, as she wept openly at the loss of her daughter; his own expression however, made no effort to conceal his anxiety.

Kaname moved forward and gently squeezed Juri's arm. "I promise you I will bring your daughter home safe and sound." His voice took on a tone of solemn resolve as he addressed the parents. "You have my word, your Highness." Juri nodded slightly then buried her face into her husband's chest.

Turning around in a graceful motion, Kaname Kuran then made his way out of the room, an ash haired woman and a young blonde man following after him. His handsome face, calm and composed, did well to conceal the storm the news of Yuuki's kidnapping had spurred inside him. "Seiren, call for Admiral Kain and Lieutenant Aidou immediately." He ordered. The female stopped midway, bowed quickly, and walked off to the opposite direction of the prince. Walking in stiff yet elegant strides, Kaname was now headed outside the palace and towards the stables, Lord Ichijou following after him.

_That reckless girl_, Kaname thought, sweat accumulating on his forehead. He was trying his best to keep calm, but his deep crimson eyes, seething with anger gave him away. His pulse was racing with worry as possibilities of what might have happened to her went through his mind. As much as he knew Yuuki was the one to blame for inviting trouble by her childish acts, he would certainly execute every single one of those criminals the minute he got his hands on them._ No one_ laid harmful hands on his precious princess and lived to tell the tale.

A few officers were now following after them too, the young crown prince leading the way. The guard at the royal stable bowed when he saw them approaching, turning quickly to open the gates. In a matter of moments, Kaname and Ichijou were mounted atop their horses, with Kaname's jet black horse a rare Arabian breed and Ichijou's a dark brown stallion. An entourage of young officers following after them, the young prince and the lord rode off towards the beach. The news of their arrival should already have reached the navy seals by now. Kaname was depending on Haruka and Juri to handle things at the ball, knowing they would see through the matter perfectly fine despite their panic stricken states. As he rode off into to the horizon, one thought was plastered in his mind: _hold on Yuuki, I am coming for you!_


	3. The Royal Rescue

**Chapter 3: The Royal Rescue**

**Thank you everyone for your lovely reviews~! I am glad to know that you're enjoying our epic voyage xD So I guess I'll quit the rambling and let you read the story.**

**Warning: Wet, sexy pirate bishies ahead xD**

**Vampire Knight (c) Hino Matsuri**

**Kidnapped (c) Bloodredhead and Shizza24**

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><p>"Hurricane is comin'!" A deep voice shouted out to the crew from the crow's nest*, a small enclosure on the top of the main mast, the highest point on the ship. Thick clouds approached the sky, moving from the north to cover it completely.<p>

Within moments of the pirate's call, the entire crew was bustling all over the deck, making arrangements for the impending storm. Standing amidst the commotion, Captain Zero Kiryuu was more than just agitated by the sudden change of weather. If it got worse, the storm could very well delay their journey to Pittsvale. _No, that's not an option…_ Shouting out orders to the men in his crew, Zero made his way to help some men straighten the sail, anger and frustration rising in his nerves. _Damn this weather to hell!_

The waves started to lap more urgently against the wooden blanks of the ship's outer shell, rocking it from side to side. Slight flecks of water brushed Zero's lean cheek, as he extended his hand to feel more droplets hitting the center of his palm. _Rain._

The downpour got heavier as the crew sailed further along the sea, the winds growing ferocious, blowing several objects on the deck. The ship rocked more violently, as the waves hitting the sides got more formidable. The sky above them was now coated in grey, and rumbles roared from within the clouds.

The thunders got louder as the ship made its way further into the storm's embrace, waves crashing against the ship's bow as it dipped over another wave, sprays of water flying in the air and over onto deck. The wind howled around, tearing at the sails. Lighting crashed down as the thunders roared again in response.

"Captiain!" Zero turned around to see Jinmu approaching him, "the storm is getting worse by the minute and this weather might delay our plans. What are your orders for us?"

"We can always turn back to Elelacia and sort out the ransom deal while waiting out the storm" Kaito, who had walked over to them, suggested matter-of-factly.

A smirk appeared on Zero's lips. "Don't tell me y'all are wimping out 'cause of some rain." The pirates aboard the ship were known across the seven seas for their strength and brutality. This storm was definitely a fierce one, but it was nothing his men couldn't handle. They had seen much worse, and made it alive out of much uglier situations. This hurricane was far from being a serious threat.

"Not at all" Kaito replied, "I was just sayin' we get the matter of the little missy over with while we're at it. Because Rido's assault on Pittsvale might also be delayed 'cause of the storm"

"Rido could very well be in Pittsvale right now for all we know," Zero replied, bitterness clouding his conscience at the thought, "We can't stop till we've heard about his whereabouts. So keep sailing." Giving them his final orders, Zero walked away towards the steering wheel where Yagari was operating it in the direction of their course.

The rain continued to drench the ship's deck, as measures were taken against the storm. Standing next to Yagari, Zero silently observed his crew, making sure everything was in order. He knew his men were strong. _But_ _Sailing in this hurricane's gonna be a bitch._

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><p>The narrow hallway, lined with doors on either side, was dimly lit as Kaien led Yuuki out of the cabin, her hands still tied behind her back; her feet however were now free from the rope's iron grip so as to enable her to walk. Yuuki could hear loud noises, pounding and thrashing, coming from the wooden ceiling above her as Kaien tugged her arm forward to make her walk. After going straight along the length of the hallway, he then turned a corner and led her down wooden steps that made way to a lower level.<p>

_How long has the ship been sailing for?_ Yuuki concluded that it couldn't have been longer than half an hour. They couldn't have gotten that far from Elelacia. Her pulse shot up as yet another dangerous thought struck her. She knew the pirate would tie her up the minute he took her to the next cabin. This could very possibly be her only chance while her feet were still untied. _I need to get out of this… if we're not that far from the shore, maybe I can make it. Kaname's men would probably be out there too, maybe they'd notice me? Think Yuuki! No, act! Do it! No, it's dangerous… but I've got to do something!_ Coming to a quick halt, Yuuki jerked herself away from Kaien in one swift motion, frenzy taking over her entire being. She kicked him in the stomach with her free leg, sending him tumbling down the steps, as he called out in shock and pain. Without wasting another moment, the princess turned around and dashed back in hallway. _I need to escape! Run Yuuki! There's no turning back now!_

"Hey! Come back!" She could hear Cross running up the stairs to chase her as she momentarily stopped at the other end of the hallway to turn around and climb a similar set of stairs that led to a wooden door to the upper level. With her hands still tied behind her back, she kicked the door open and ran out to the ship's deck as heavy rain started pouring down on her. Several pirates who had been going about their duties stopped in their tracks, their expressions turning to those of surprise and even amusement at the prisoner's pathetic form as she desperately ran past them.

_A sea storm? Damn it! _Running towards the quarter deck with the men now chasing her, Yuuki already knew her attempts would be futile in this weather. Heavy raindrops hit like pebbles against her skin, the ferocious winds weighing her down. The skies had turned deep gray, erupting erratic lightening from within dark thunderous clouds. The ship soared wildly across the stormy seas, dancing its way over untamed waves. As she neared the edge of the deck, her eyes were quick to spot the silver haired captain emerging from her left and walking towards her, a menacing expression painted on his handsome face.

"Catch her!" She turned her head to see Kaien running towards her from the other direction, his cries overshadowed by the thunderstorm. Stepping back in fear, she felt the cold metal railing of the ship against her back as she neared the corner of the deck. Looking behind her and down, she felt another chill up her spine as she witnessed the sea at its scariest. It was then when a loud thunder erupted from the skies and a strong gust of the storm hit them like a cannon.

The ship suddenly made a sharp tilt, causing Yuuki to lose her footing. Falling in the direction of the open sea, Yuuki desperately tried to grasp the railing, realizing too late that her tied hands rendered her attempt useless. She screamed at the top of her lungs before falling overboard, the icy waters claiming her like a predator hungry for prey.

As her body slowly began its decent down the treacherous waters, she frantically tried to hold her breath in attempt to prevent water from entering her lungs. Every pore on her skin was screaming in agony against the icy waters. Kicking her legs, struggling with her tied arms, Yuuki knew there was no way she'd survive this one. _I am so stupid! I brought this mess upon myself. _Her mind was a blizzard of frenzy. After kicking and pushing for a few minutes, she found her strength slowly leaving her. Dizziness from lack of air took over her mind, the ice cold water numbing her senses.

_Is this it?_ The thought sent a sharp pang of pain through her pounding chest as salty waters stung in her eyes. _So this was how it would end… _Her surroundings were getting darker as she gradually closed her eyes, the struggle for life departing her limbs completely now. A plethora of images were running through her head as she sank deeper into the seas… _Mother… Father… Yori... _She felt a knot tying in her gut as she remembered their loving faces_… Kaname…_ Another pang of despair hit her as his dark, loving eyes flashed in her mind, his beautiful smile filling her senses. _I am sorry, Kaname… I wasn't able to fulfill our promise… We wouldn't be able to spend our lives together… and it's all my fault._ Still holding her breath, she was slowly beginning to let go, Kaname's handsome face the only thought in her mind.

It was then when she felt a sudden jerk at her arm, causing her to open her eyes wide as they landed on a pair of moonlit, violet orbs. _Zero…_ Even in the darkness of the ocean, she could clearly see his deep lavender eyes, shaded by a deep frown as strands of glistening silver flew with the water in all directions above his head. Looking at her savior with eyes drenched in shock, Yuuki knew one thing for certain: Zero's face at that moment was a sight that would be etched into her memory forever.

He pulled her in his direction, bringing her body closer to his chest as his strong arm encircled her waist tightly. Kicking his feet in the water, he propelled them both upwards to the surface. Yuuki's face was buried in his chest, a million emotions flooding her senses as she continued to hold her breath, the endeavor making her even more lightheaded.

As soon as they hit the surface, she immediately took in a sharp gust of air, breathing life into her numb senses, orienting them back to function. The seas were still thick with the storm and violent waves collided against them, forcing them in their direction. Still clenched in the captain's iron grip, Yuuki gasped for more air, salty waves continuing to crash against her, filling her mouth with sea water. Coughing out the water, she looked up to see that they were only a few feet away from the ship. A rope ladder fell down in their direction and Zero caught it with his free arm as soon as it hit the water. The men on the other end were now pulling it up, bringing them towards safety as the winds continued to howl violently against their drenched forms, the thunderous rain engulfing them in its merciless downpour.

The ladder moved upwards steadily as Zero held on to a rung with one hand, his other arm clasped around Yuuki's waist. The princess, despite having her hands tied behind her back, was clinging to the pirate for dear life, her head buried in his neck as her long wet hair trailed down his back, the tip of her nose brushing against his tattoo; his smooth yet sharp collar bone felt hard against her cheek. Yuuki could feel her heart pounding frantically against her ribcage as a wave of relief washed over her, followed by another jolt of utter confusion. _Why did he jump in a stormy sea just to rescue me? _Yuuki knew the calamitous thunderstorm could very well have claimed his life along with hers. But even she wasn't naïve enough to believe that the act had been one of genuine goodwill, even if she wanted to. _The ransom must be really important to the pirates for Zero to have gone to such a great length to save me..._ An emotion she couldn't quite put a finger on was starting to well inside her at the thought… _hurt… disappointment?_ Yuuki immediately shook the thought out of her head. What had she been hoping? For criminals who had abducted her to rescue her out of kindness? _It's a miracle he even saved me in the first place! _She told herself. It was foolish of her to even harbor such thoughts when she really should have been glad that she was still alive.

Turning her head, Yuuki slightly adjusted her eyes to look up at Zero. His face was only centimeters away from hers, his deep lavender eyes staring up in the distance as the rain continued to drench him, his brows knitted in a deep frown. Heavy raindrops fell hard against his head, darkening his silver hair, sticking it to his forehead as streams of water trickled down from it, tracing their way from his long, silvery lashes to his straight, pointed nose, then curving along his soft yet full lips that glistened in a watery glow; more water streaked along his lean cheeks, making its way to his angular jawline before trickling down his long neck and falling against Yuuki's face, cooling down the heat rising in her face.

She could feel her skin flushing against his, icy chills running down her spine as the cold winds hit her soaked form. She was sure he would have clearly heard her thrashing heartbeat had it not been overwhelmed by the loud thunders. As she observed the captain at such close proximity, her pulse leapt up a million notches as he suddenly looked down to lock his gaze with hers. Yuuki felt her cheeks coloring up as her warm mahogany eyes met his cool amethyst ones, the latter a mixture of overwhelming emotions. Staring into orbs of a calamitous lilac, Yuuki felt as if they held a storm of their own within those deep, endless pools. She found herself inescapably drawn into Zero's infinitely profound gaze, unconsciously inching forward as the distance between them got even shorter. But a sudden movement of his head hauled her back to reality as he roughly jerked his eyes away, their cold lavender turning even icier with seething rage.

All too soon, they reached the edge of the deck, much to Yuuki's surprised disappointment, and the captain jumped up on board, dropping her like the plague the minute they were on solid ground. The crew erupted into noises and cheers at the captain's safe return. But a single deadly glare from the silver haired pirate sent them all ducking their heads and scurrying off back to work.

Yuuki's heart was still running miles ahead of her from her recent interaction with the caption, her body breaking into cold shivers as it protested against the maltreatment of the storm. Raiding her eyes with his mercilessly furious glare one last time, the captain then walked off towards the cabins, his white cotton shirt, sticking wet against his broad back, translucent to his well-toned muscles as streaks of water dripped down his back, his rain-darkened silver hair clinging on to the nape of his long, pale neck.

Pulling at her arm, Kaien brought Yuuki to her feet, ushering her back to the cabin as he followed Zero, leading her away from the storm's relentless downpour. Yuuki concluded that in all of her 20 years in this world, today was definitely the most eventful one, but not necessarily in a good way.

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><p>Thick inside the folds of the stormy waves, a large ship made its way to the long sought after shores, the words "Black Raven" painted in white across its black exterior. Witnessing the thunders from his cabin window, Captain Rido was fuming with anger at his plan's being delayed by the weather. They would have to put off their raid on Pittsvale and wait out the storm in a nearby town; the notion pissed him off to no end. Clad in a black knee length coat with a small gold pattern on its back, a large leather tricorn hat, and long buckled up boots, Rido stood against his desk, a flicker of hatred flashing across his mismatched eyes as they landed on a metal hook clasped on his left wrist. <em>You'll pay for this, Kiryuu<em>, he thought bitterly as the memory of yet another stormy night when that silver haired bastard had chopped his hand off came to his mind, accompanied by subsequent events that only served to fuel his rage.

Behind him, Hanadagi and Isaya, two of his right hand men, stood patiently in front of his desk, awaiting the orders of their captain. The door opened to reveal a middle aged blonde man, his wrinkled face partially concealed with a beard. Making a light bow in the direction of the captain, he lifted his face to meet Rido's blue and red eyes with his own icy blue ones. "Captain, the men reported that dark clouds are constantly flying from the north; looks like the storm wouldn't subside until the next week, maybe even more." Asato informed, gasping in shock as a sharp blade suddenly swept past his neck from Rido's direction, missing him by a mere inch as the knife hit the wooden door behind him. The room was dead silent, the faces of the men inside it drenched in fear.

"Damn that Kiryuu," Rido's voice was thick with bitterness and rage, "I'll eat him alive for what he did." His memory replayed the scene again, taking him back to the night when those assholes from White Lily had driven him and his men out of Pittsvale, a town that had been Rido's lair for more than a decade.

Located near one of the most important sea ports in the area, Pittsvale had been quite a wealthy and prosperous place. That was the main reason that had allured the pirates of Black Raven to that town as they eventually took over it, feasting like parasites on Pittsvale's resources, riches and women. But Zero Kiryuu and his pirates had ruined it all, after they raided the town and snatched it away, stealing its riches to sate their own greedy hunger.

Rido felt his stomach tightening at the thought, another wave of vengeance flooding his senses. His entire being was itching with the urge to cut open that silver haired pirate from limb to limb, slowly tracing the blade of his sword along his pale chest, twisting it deeper to slice his insides, watching him writhe in agony and desperation under the mercy of his ruthless onslaught. Every pore in his body was crying for revenge, the fact that it had to be delayed anguishing him beyond measure. His plan to raid the town would have to wait… _curse this thunderstorm!_

At that moment, a rather short, dark haired man entered the room. "Captain Rido," he said, before greeting the pirate with a bow, "I bring news that might interest you." He spoke with caution, well aware of the captain's cruel disposition.

Rido looked at Touma, a slight amusement coloring his eyes. "Is that so?" a faint smirk snaked up his lips, "and what would that news be?"

"It seems that Kiryuu just made enemies of an entire kingdom" Touma replied with an evil smile on his childish face, "He abducted the princess of Elelacia and is now being hunted down by the kingdom's army."

Rido let out a devilish laugh, intoxicating the entire room with its bitterness as smirks and chuckles spread across the faces of the other men in the cabin as well. "Now the bastard has royal navy tailing his ass!" The captain broke into another fit of laughter as Touma nodded in agreement, informing him that the crown prince himself was aboard the rescue ship that would be sailing from the shores of Elelacia.

"That sure makes the game a hell of a lot more interesting," Rido exclaimed, his thin lips breaking into an earsplitting grin, "looks like Kaname Kuran and I have a common enemy."

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><p>Kaname Kuran was sitting in the cabin of his kingdom's navy ship, cursing the storm. The distress of Yuuki's abduction was starting to give him a headache, his dark crimson eyes pools of worry and anxiety, his chocolate locks clinging on his forehead with the sweat. The sea storm looked like it would continue for weeks, and waiting it out was not an option. Yuuki's rescue demanded urgency and he couldn't afford to lose a single second.<p>

"What are your orders, Prince Kaname?" Takuma Ichijo asked from behind him, standing next to the cabin door. Admiral Kain and Lieutenant Aido were also present in the room.

Kaname turned to face the tall blonde man, "Set the ship to sail and follow the pirates," Kaname spoke with an authoritative tone, "the storm might hinder us, but we have no choice. Rescuing the princess is our top most priority."

The men in the room nodded in agreement, not worrying the slightest bit about the danger the storm would put their lives in. Elelacia was known in the region for having the strongest navy, and they would certainly uphold that title at all costs. They had been raised to serve the kingdom, and held pride in being of service to the royal family at such a crucial time. They would protect the Kurans with everything they had, even if they lost their lives in the process.

"You can count on us, Your Highness," Lieutenant Hanabusa Aido asserted the prince, slightly bowing in his direction, "We are ready to put our lives on the line for the Royal Rescue Mission, and will do everything in our power to restore the Princess back to safety"

"I appreciate that, Lieutenant," Kaname smiled graciously at the officer, "I am truly grateful for having trustworthy officers such as yourself by my side."

Hanabusa Aido was touched to the core by the prince's kind remark, his determination to serve him growing stronger. Erecting himself back up, he saluted Kaname enthusiastically, "we'll set the ship to sail immediately, Your Highness!" he bowed again, before leaving the room to execute Kaname's orders.

Kaname turned around to face the window now, his eyes staring far in the distance. _The Pirates of the White Lily_… a group of outlaws that struck fear in every man who ever heard so much as their name. He would crush them all, Kaname thought bitterly. "So how much information were you able to gather regarding this gang of pirates, Ichijou?"

"The pirates are known by the name of their ship, White Lily," Ichijou stated, "the crew itself consists of about 35 men as far as my sources could gather."

_Thirty-five men… my Yuuki is all by herself, surrounded by thirty-five criminals…_ Kaname clenched his fist even tighter, another storm of rage raiding his turbulent heart. He would execute every single one of those filthy low-lives.

"These men are known to be the most vicious outlaws out there, and are called by many names such as monsters of the oceans, sea devils, so on and so forth," Ichijou continued, "No one who faced them in battle has ever lived to tell the tale." Ichijou paused for a moment. "But the most ruthless one of those beasts is their captain, a pirate known by the name Zero Kiryuu; I'm sure you've heard of him. My sources tell me he's a rather tall man with silver hair and violet eyes, and he bears a tattoo on the left side of his neck. His ship was seen leaving the shores about forty-eight hours ago."

"Zero Kiryuu…" A menacing smirk crept up Kaname's lips, "I will gladly do the honors of killing you with my own hands."

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><p>The heat from the coal heater felt deliciously warm against her skin as Yuuki crept up as close to it as she could. The warmth radiating from the burning coal seeped inside her body, sending hot shivers down her spine. Compared to the cold stormy sea, this felt like utter bliss. Yuuki adjusted herself so that her wet hair was falling away from her body in the direction of the heat, but it was still hard to maneuver thanks to her tied hands. Standing next to the opposite wall, the silver haired captain was glaring daggers at her, still thoroughly drenched from the rain. His collared white shirt made no effort to conceal his hard, toned muscles as it clung to his skin, his silver hair sticking tightly on his head from the rain. For some reason Yuuki found the sight rather exciting. <em>Geez, doesn't he feel cold after that nerve-wrecking swim in the storm?<em> Yuuki couldn't help but worry since it really was her fault; _he can at least dry himself or else he'd surely get sick_.Ichiru and Kaito were present in the cabin as well.

The room was small, but warm. A plain single bed standing against one wall was the only furniture in the place. Turning to meet the captain's eyes, she winced under his furious gaze as he all but exploded with rage.

"Are you stupid?" His tone made no effort to conceal his anger, "You actually thought you could escape in the middle of a stormy sea like that?"

Even though the captain was right, the remark sent a rush of anger and guilt throughout Yuuki's body. He was the reason she was even in this mess! "So you expect me to not resist at all? It's your fault for kidnapping me in the first place!"

Zero's temper hit the roof. He had never been a fan of royalty, and this girl showed him exactly why. "Arrogant… and ungrateful" Zero literally spat the words, "you _royalties_ make me sick." The atmosphere was thicker than ever, looming over them as the other pirates got stiff, cautiously eyeing their enraged captain.

Yuuki felt a slight pang in her chest. _Gratitude?_ She refused to delude herself with the notion that he'd genuinely saved her out of kindness. Had she not been worth millions, someone like Zero Kiryuu would never have even thought about saving her life. Pushing aside that irritating feeling the idea brought in her heart, Yuuki glared at the pirate. "Gratitude for what? You only saved me for your precious ransom." _I am nothing more than an expensive prize… but _w_hy do I feel so… disappointed? Ugh this is annoying!_ The men in front of her were vicious outlaws, known to bring nothing but misery to others for their own selfish gains. Anger was seething inside her as she hissed: "Why would bloodthirsty criminals like you know _anything_ about _saving lives_?"

The room suddenly fell dead silent. Yuuki felt something changing in the atmosphere as she let out a small gasp. She could feel the men's eyes growing slightly wider, their gaze even colder and harsher now. Unable to remain silent, Ichiru suddenly exclaimed: "You're wrong-"

"Ichiru" Zero's stern voice forbade his twin from speaking any further. The two brothers were intensely looking at each other now, with Ichiru's eyes a mixture of sadness, rage… and guilt? Zero's gaze however, was steady and firm, his frown strictly in place. Looking at the brothers with a growing curiosity, Yuuki was thoroughly confused by their reaction.

Turning towards the princess, Zero's glare got ten times harsher as he retorted bitterly: "Don't act as if you know everything about us, pampered little brat." Taking long, stiff strides, he made his way towards her. Their closing distance sent Yuuki's heart pounding against her chest as she put up a defensive look. Standing in front of her now, Zero bent down and grabbed her by her arm, pulling her back up on her feet.

Yuuki was trying to fight as much as she could, but she failed hopelessly due to her tied hands and lack of energy after the night's events, not to mention the captain's iron strong grip. "Don't touch me!" She glared into the captain's piercing violet gaze, as he brought his face within inches of hers. Her pulse was racing madly against his cold, wet touch as droplets of water fell from his face on to hers.

"You need to pay me back for saving your ass, _Princess._" Zero hissed down her neck, his warm breath hitting her face, sending sparks across her flushed skin. A faint smirk graced his lips.

"Since you don't have money," before she could reply she heard Ichiru's amused voice from behind them, "you can repay the captain with your body."

_What?_ Steam blew off from Yuuki's nose and ears, her heart exploding against her chest. _Me and Zero? Doing t…th… that? _She had never gone that far with even Kaname! They had never been more affectionate than sharing a few kisses, despite being betrothed since birth. To think she'd let another man touch her with an even greater intimacy? No way! Staring at Zero with an expression thick with embarrassment and defiance, Yuuki found herself surprisingly tongue-tied against the pirate's mischievous gaze and playful smirk.

"Her body? Don't make me laugh" his tone was thick in a bitter amusement, "I don't come that cheap."

"That's enough! You insolent jerk!" Zero's offensive remark enraged her to no end as she started struggling against his grasp yet again, failing miserably as his large hands, clasped strongly on both her arms, prevented her from moving even an inch.

It was then when he let go of one of her arms and shoved them to his side, retrieving a small, shiny object from his trouser pockets. Yuuki immediately recognized it as knife. The sight sent another jolt in her chest as she gasped in shock as to what he'd do to her. She broke into another round of fruitless protests when Zero reached behind her back with the knife in his hand.

"No! Don't!" Yuuki's eyes were clenched shut as she felt a sharp edge brushing past her wrist; she prepared herself to bear the acute pain from the cut, but it never came. Instead, she felt the rope's hold on her hands loosening as Zero retrieved his arm, the taut wet rope falling to the ground. _What the… did he just untie my hands?_ Yuuki's expression was colored in utter shock.

The door opened and Kaien walked in, two pieces of black and white clothing resting in his hands atop a pair of towels. Zero let go of Yuuki's arm and walked towards Cross, grabbing the clothes and a towel from his pile, and throwing them roughly in Yuuki's direction. With her hands still somewhat numb from the rope's pressure, Yuuki was unable to catch the articles, and they lightly hit her face before falling into her arms; one item that looked like a shirt still rested on her head. Slowly removing it from her field of vision, Yuuki peered out to look at Zero, who was making his way to the door.

"Take them," he stopped for a moment to look back at her, "it'd be a waste of you die of pneumonia" his eyes slowly travelled across her drenched body, making Yuuki look down to notice her own soaked form for the first time. Her tattered and wet lavender dress was revealing her slim figure rather shamelessly, as Yuuki gasped in embarrassment, quickly covering her rain exposed chest with the garments in her hand as she furiously looked up at Zero, only to find him walking away, the other towel casually lying around his neck. "Oh, and as for payment," he turned to her one last time, "you'll be cleaning the ship's deck after the storm." A sly grin snaked up his lips, "I'm sorry _missy_, but we don't do troublesome freeloaders."

With that, Zero Kiryuu exited the room, the rest of his crew following after him as Kaien walked out last, closing the door shut and locking it behind him.

Yuuki dropped down to her knees the moment they left, the entire ordeal draining her completely of her energy. Her eyes now landed on the articles of clothing in her lap, and she picked up the shirt. It smelled of Zero. Dropping it quickly she gasped yet again, before reason worked its way into her conscience. Yes, it was Zero's shirt, there was no mistaking it. But she needed to change out of her dress, and there was no other option. Examining it now, she found it to be a rather plain collared, button-up shirt, a faint scent of peppermint, pine, gunpowder and the fresh seas mixed within its soft fabric; it was a surprisingly soothing aroma, Yuuki reluctantly admitted to herself. Her eyes then found their way to the pair of black pants sitting in her lap. _Don't tell me those are his too!_ She felt her heartbeat rising in embarrassment. She had never worn a man's clothing. To think she had to resort to wear _Zero's_ clothes, of all people. She sighed. Then again, _this is surely the least of my problems._

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><p><strong>*Crow's nest: this is a structure in the upper part of the mainmast of a ship or structure, that is used as a lookout point. <strong>**This position ensured the best view of the approaching hazards, other ships or land.**


	4. Trouble at Talbort

**_The next chapter for Kidnapped is finally up~ Bloodredhead and I are terribly sorry for the ridiculously long time it took us to update. D': _**

**_These past few months had been rather tough for both of us, and the fandom gave us quite a hard time, resulting in our not being able to work on this story. We sincerely apologize for this delay. _**

**_Please enjoy this chapter. :) Reviews and critiques are extremely appreciated! Thank you for supporting us! We couldn't have done this without you lovely readers!_**

**_Vampire Knight (c) Matsuri Hino_**

**_Kidnapped (c) Shizza24 and Bloodredhead_**

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><p><strong>~Chapter 4~<strong>

**Trouble at Talbort**

"Damage report." The captain demanded, his stone cold demeanor in stark contrast with the endless enigma clouding his eyes. Clad in a white, loosely buttoned up shirt, Zero stood at the helm overlooking the deck and the ocean. The storm's power had receded somewhat. Though it was still raining heavily, only an occasional gust of wind would rock the boat. The crew was moving around more freely now, their footing steadier on deck.

Yagari walked towards Zero. "Two sails torn, the rudder keeps getting jammed when we turn it too quickly, and some of the goods were lost from the main deck." He replied, a grim expression tainting his face, his electric blue eye deep with concern.

"We have a few leaks on the lower decks too." piped in Kaito as he walked towards them, a disheveled mess in the rain.

"The front of the ship took a good hammering too. Parts have been damaged there." said Ichiru as he climbed the steps from the main deck. "We're going to have to stop for repairs. The damages are getting worse."

Zero nodded grimly. "_Time..._is the problem" Yagari, Kaito and Ichiru all nodded with uneasy expressions.

"We don't know Rido's whereabouts or whether he's behind us or ahead. Makes it difficult to guess timing." said Yagari, adjusting his hat slightly as it covered up more of his dark, wet locks.

Zero nodded and turned to Kaito. "Where's the nearest port where we could get repairs?"

"Port Talbort." Kaito replied. Everyone tensed at the name, but before anything could be said, a shout out made them all turn.

"Captain!" Jinmu marched briskly towards them, a white pigeon nestled in his arms. "Maria's pigeon just landed, and there's a note attached too."

Zero held his hands out and the pirate placed the white bird carefully in the young captain's hands. Everyone else moved closer, curious about the news Maria had sent them. Zero took the small parchment out of the metal casing that had prevented it from getting wet. He passed the pigeon to Ichiru as he unrolled and read the note.

_Captain Kiryuu,_

_I have good news. The storm has waylaid Rido and his crew. This may give you a week's advantage over them in getting to Pittsville. Good luck._

_Maria_

As Zero read the note, a small smile formed across his lips. "Seems like we've had a bit of luck, lads." he declared. "The storm has waylaid Rido by a couple of days, so we can afford to stop over for repairs for a day and night at Talbort."

The crew heaved a sigh of relief at news. However, tension was still thick in the air. Dismissing the pirates, Zero made his way to the front deck. _Port Talbort..._ The name left a bitter taste in his mouth.

~OxOxO~

The rain was still pouring heavily when White Lily finally hit the shores of Port Talbort. Despite their visit's allowing them to get supplies for the crew and repair the ship, Zero was not happy about the stopover, a frown permanently plastered on his handsome face as he went about, giving orders to his men. The crew didn't exactly have a pleasant history with the town. They had sparred against the local Mafia more than a few times. The prospect of coming across those filthy leeches once again made Zero sick to his stomach. _If only it weren't for this godforsaken storm…_

Making sure the anchor was fastened tight, the captain ensured that the ship was hidden in a fairly secluded place a few kilometers away from Port Talbort's main harbor. It took the men about twenty minutes to secure the anchor and bring the ship to a halt. With the docking taken care of, Zero made his way to his cabin to clean up and change out of his wet clothes. Some of the pirates were to go into town and gather supplies with him, while others would be staying on deck to watch over the ship as well as that troublesome princess.

The thought of that girl made his stomach churn. _She is annoying as hell... _Perhaps the most irksome thing about her was her prying gaze. Her huge, chocolate eyes seemed to look straight through him. It was annoying.

As Zero opened the door to his cabin, he glanced over to the door across his. It was bolted shut and Yuuki was locked in there, a place secluded from the rest of the ship along with his own cabin. Her rather daring and stupid antics needed to be kept in check, and the captain had taken it upon himself to keep an eye on her. Besides, he didn't want her near the rest of his men. It would be a problem if any of them decided to pull a stunt on her in some drunken fit. If there was anything Zero didn't trust his men with, it was women. And this ransom was too important to mess up.

Shutting the door behind him, he made his way to his wardrobe, a wooden cabinet on the further corner of his room. His cabin was fairly plain, with a single bed lined up against one wall of the room, a window looking out to the vast seas, and a table with some books and other items on the opposite side of the bed. Opening up his wardrobe, Zero was grabbing a pair of clean pants when he noticed that a couple articles of clothing were missing. _Kaien… that bastard_

Yuuki was still debating whether or not to put on the captain's clothes when she heard footsteps outside the cabin. She quickly walked up to the door and peered outside through a small key hole. Someone appeared to be standing at a distance from her room and she could only see his back. Yuuki tilted her head till a mane of silver hair came into her view. _Ah, so it's him…_ Her recent interactions with the captain still made her pulse rise. Yuuki kept looking till he disappeared into a room. _Don't tell me that's his room. _Yuuki wished she was mistaken.

Sighing she got up and went back to her place beside the coal heater. Her lavender dress was nowhere near dry and hence, it was in no position to be worn. The layers of undergarments beneath her dress were all soaked up, making the fabric downright irritating. Her plunge into the stormy sea had definitely taken its toll on the dress. Yuuki picked up the captain's pants and inspected them, a furious blush coloring her cheeks. They were definitely way too long. Putting them to a side, she started undressing. Taking off the gown, she put it on the bed, followed by her camisole. She then unfastened the corset, leaving only her bra on before moving to the lower half of her dressing as she took off layers of petticoats, got rid her drawers, unfastened the garters and removed the stockings, leaving on plain underwear. This was the first time she had taken her clothes off herself. Usually maids would help her in and out of her garments. Yuuki hated these dresses. They were extremely uncomfortable and more than half the items were ridiculously unnecessary.

She then hesitantly picked up Zero's shirt and put it on, followed by the pair of pants. She folded each leg till it went up to her ankles and rolled each sleeve up to her elbows. When she was finally done, Yuuki was surprised to notice how comfortable her new clothes were. She could never have imagined that clothing was meant to make people feel at ease, having dressed up in elaborate dresses and gowns all her life. And they smelled nice. Not that Yuuki would ever admit it.

Picking up her discarded clothing, Yuuki shoved it all underneath her bed. She wouldn't even be looking at those clothes until she was back at the palace and had no other choice but to wear them. _The palace…_ Her chest tightened at the thought, tears forming at the corners of her warm cinnamon eyes. Would she ever be able to see her home again? Tears were streaming down her cheeks now. While Yuuki admitted she had deemed the palace as some elaborate prison in her moments of anger more than a couple times and had always wished she could free herself of the constraints that came with being royalty, she had definitely not wanted this. Yuuki was ready to do anything if only it took her back home.

It was then when Yuuki realized that the ship had stopped moving. Were they stopping over? What was going on? She heard footsteps outside her door and again peered through the keyhole to see what she could. She wasn't able to see anything, but after pressing her ear hard against the wooden frame, she could hear voices that were coming from further out in the hallway.

"I'll take Ichiru, Yagari and Kaito along with the others to town with me," it was the captain, "Kaien, I want you and Jinmu to stay on deck and watch the ship."

_So they're stopping over at some town…_ Yuuki wondered how far it was from Elelacia. Dangerous thoughts swam through her mind yet again. Surely the town had some sort of law enforcement system. If she could contact the police or a sheriff somehow, maybe they'd get her back home? There was no way she was getting back if she just sat around and did nothing. Pushing her fears at the back of her mind she gathered her resolve to make yet another attempt at escape.

~OxOxO~

Kaien Cross was standing at the deck next to Jinmu as he saw half the crew leave the ship with Zero. There were still a few hours till sundown so they would be able to gather sufficient supplies. Watching the silver haired pirate's retreating back, Kaien sighed. It felt like only yesterday when he'd come across the two boys in the streets of Pittsvale. The fact that both of them had grown to become such strong men still amazed him. A loud knock coming from the hallway broke his train of thought and he walked over to the source of the noise, knowing exactly where it was coming from.

Yuuki knocked a third time, realizing that the pirates had left and this was her chance. She was wearing her cloak over her outfit, too ashamed to be seen in men's wear. A few minutes passed before the door opened to reveal Kaien.

"What is it?" he asked.

"Um, I need to use the lavatory." Yuuki lied, trying her best to keep an expressionless face. Her heart was leaping miles ahead of her, her pulse dancing in her veins.

"Oh…" a questioning look passed across his face before the light haired man quietly sighed, "Sure, follow me."

Yuuki walked out of the room and followed the lead of the pirate as he led her along the hallway and out on deck. She looked around to gauge her surroundings and could clearly see the shoreline a few miles away from the ship's deck. It gave her hope. _So we aren't docked that far off from the shore... _The lavatory was apparently on the other end of the ship as they continued to walk towards it. She looked around to make sure that no other pirates were in close proximity. Luckily, she and Kaien were the only two on deck.

Furtively glancing at Kaien, Yuuki stopped midstride. Kaien was still walking ahead, not noticing that she wasn't following. After Yuuki was sure that a significant distance was formed between the two, she turned around, and ran.

Kaien dashed after her the minute he heard her running footsteps._ Damn it! _He should have known. She was already running towards the railing, making a bold attempt to jump overboard.

"Hey! Come back here!"

Yuuki climbed the railing as fast as she could, the sight of the daunting seas intimidating her very core. She looked back to see Kaien running towards her, yelling at the top of his voice. Yuuki looked back at the sea and gauged its depth. It didn't look that deep. With her heart beating like a frenzied horse, she took a deep breath, and jumped.

~OxOxO~

It was almost an hour since the kidnapped princess had made her escape. Hiding in the woods near the shore, she was still on the lookout for the light haired pirate who had chased after her. It seemed to her that she had lost him for he was nowhere to be seen. Climbing up a large tree, Yuuki swiftly adjusted herself atop a branch so as to get a better view of the surroundings. She could see the town towards her East, and it wasn't that far ahead. Yuuki crossed her fingers. This was her only chance.

Getting back on the ground, Yuuki made her way out of the woods and towards the streets, being careful not to be noticed. Her clothes had almost dried from all the running, and she had her cloak firmly wrapped around her, its hood worn up so that it covered almost her entire face.

About fifteen minutes later, the princess had finally made it to the town. Though the sight before her was rather plain, Yuuki still couldn't help but be awed by it. The streets were rather narrow, and shops and houses small and shabby. The sun was still up so the markets were bustling with people going about their jobs, men, women and children all dressed in plain clothes as they carried out their daily duties.

Even though Yuuki was in highly unfavorable circumstances, the sight of the town still put a small smile on her face. Was she really in the outside world? Her rational mind found it intimidating, but her adventurous heart secretly relished the exhilaration. Pulling the cloak over to cover herself better, Yuuki slipped into the crowd.

She needed to find where the local authorities were at. Stopping at a fruit stall, she inquired the stall owner for the town's sheriff, who guided her to an office a few streets away. Yuuki thanked him and went in the direction he had pointed to, being careful of the pirates who would still be roaming the town.

The building was small, but fairly professional looking compared to the rest of the neighborhood. Standing in front of it's rather old, wooden door, Yuuki took in a deep breath. This was it. Her pulse hadn't quite paced itself back to normal ever since she'd been abducted, and the princess still felt extremely nervous and flustered. _You can do this, be strong!_

Yuuki knocked the door. It was a few minutes before it clicked open and a short, pale man appeared at the entrance.

"Um... Good afternoon, is this the sheriff's office?" Yuuki inquired, her face making no attempt to conceal her nervousness, chocolate locks blanketing her fearful gaze.

"Aye, it is," the man replied hoarsely, "but what business does a lass like yourself have here?"

"I need to speak to the sheriff, please let me in." Yuuki pleaded the man. "I want to report him about a gang of pirates who-"

"Who is it?" A voice called from behind the man as another male materialised in front of Yuuki, this one rather tall and bulky. Judging by his looks, Yuuki surmised he must be the sheriff.

"Kind sir, I want to speak to you about the pirates of White Lily who have-"

"Did you say _White Lily_?" The man cut her mid-sentence, his interest peaked, dark black eyes shining in excitement as sunlight reflected against his half bald scalp. "Come on in, miss."

A strange feeling of relief yet heightened tension washed over Yuuki as she stepped inside the office and followed the sheriff. Please let luck be on her side, just for today.

~OxOxO~

Sheriff Granja sat across the table from the princess, contemplating his next moves. He had heard the woman's story. If it were true, he would definitely be stumbling across something huge. Report had arrived a few moments ago that the notorious pirates of White Lily were indeed roaming the streets of Talbort. This further supported the woman's statement and he was inclined to believing her.

"Be assured, Your Highness. I'll do what I can to help you." Granja appeased Yuuki, a cool smirk playing up his lips as he eyed her with his sharpest gaze.

"I am very grateful to you, sir. I'll make sure you're rewarded properly for your services." Yuuki replied graciously, even if the man before her made the hair on the back of her neck rise in uneasiness. Shifting nervously in her seat, the brunette pulled some stray locks away from her face, her long hair a tangled, disheveled mess. She did every effort to keep a calm composure, even if the insecurity in her deep cinnamon eyes would occasionally give her away.

"Please excuse me for a moment, Princess. I have to see to your lodgings while we settle this matter." Granja told her as he got up from his seat. "You're welcome to wait in my office in the meanwhile. The lads should be bringing your lunch soon."

"Thank you very much for your hospitality." Yuuki replied, feeling rather on edge as she wrapped her dirtied cloak almost protectively around herself.

Granja nodded. Putting his hat on, the man left the office, a rush of adrenaline running up his nerves. Turning the corner at the street, he waved at a shabby man sitting on the footpath.

"You sure this deal's legit, Granja? The Boss will not be pleased if this turns out to be a false lead" The man told the sheriff, reminding him yet again of the mafia lord's notorious anger.

Sheriff Granja was one of the mafia's most loyal dogs. Earlier that day he had contacted them to tip them in on the latest news on the pirates. The mafia of Port Talbort and the men of White Lily shared an extremely unpleasant history. The pirates had destroyed the mafia's lair and killed their boss in their last sparring a couple years ago. The next lord who was the younger brother of the previous one, had sworn that he'd avenge his brother's blood.

Granja was rather surprised that the men of White Lily would even show their faces in Talbort. They really were an outrageous bunch, deliberately searching for trouble. The sheriff, however, couldn't care less. His only catch in the situation was the reward he'd receive for handing over that girl to the mafia, that girl who would lead them straight to the pirates' necks.

"Aye, it's as solid as anything. The girl is with the pirates and they're hunting her down." Granja replied. "You get your hands on their prize and the pirates are yours."

"Good work, Sheriff." The man replied. His boss would be pleased. "You'll get your reward when you hand the woman over to us at sunset. Same spot as always."

"Well then, till later." With that, the two men went about their separate ways.

~OxOxO~

"Your lodgings are ready, Milady." Granja told Yuuki as he walked into his office. "A friend of mine and his family would be grateful to have you as their guest."

Yuuki stood up and turned around to face him. "I should be the grateful one, sir."

"Not at all, Your Highness," The sheriff motioned her towards the exit, holding the door for her, as a malicious glint reflected in his eyes. "Allow me to escort you there."

Yuuki hesitated for a moment, before pulling up her hood and stepping outside. Something told her she couldn't trust this man. But she knew had no other choice.

~OxOxO~

Zero wasn't sure what had possessed him to allow Kaito and Ichiru to persuade him away from work to end up in this wretched bar. He was a man of duty and always put his job ahead of everything else. The pirate let out a thoroughly irritated grunt. Even though almost all of the repairs had been handled and supplies collected, he was still supposed to oversee the loading of the new cargo onto the ship, and check whether their hostage was still behaving. Yet here he was, in a smoky, run down bar, watching Kaito and Ichiru as they outrageously flirted with the bar girls who brought over their drinks.

Letting out a defeated sigh, the silver haired captain looked around the place in silent contemplation, his keen lilac eyes taking in every aspect around him. The captain made a mental note as to where everyone in the bar was seated, and located the two exits on his either side. Zero quietly analysed every dimension of the vicinity. It was something he always did when he entered a building or place he hadn't been to. The measure had proven quite useful on more occasions than he could count, no thanks particularly to the two men sitting across him.

"Aww come on Zero, lighten up and have a drink." Ichiru said as he slapped his twin's back bringing Zero out of his musing, while pushing a mug of ale in front of the brooding silver head. "I told you the lads could easily do the work without you."

Zero turned and gave his twin a glare, but took the mug anyway and had a swing from it. Kaito was across the table, one hand holding a mug, the other supporting a blonde beauty that was firmly seated on his lap, fondling with his wild, ash brown curls in a vulgar display of superficial affection. Zero rolled his eyes.

He continued drinking from his mug, while Ichiru and Kaito went on with their antics with the women in the bar. The captain, however, made sure to avoid all eye contact with any female that tried to bat her eyelids his way, or parade her curves in front of him. The stoic captain simply wasn't cut out to be a player, his nerves having no room for fakeness or flirtation. Besides, women brought nothing but trouble.

The captain was starting to grow wary of his surroundings when he spotted Jinmu entering the bar, quickly pushing through the crowd towards them, a look of concern and haste written on his face. A small leap of anticipation ran up Zero's spine.

"Jinmu, what is it?" The captain inquired, noticing his heavy breathing, and the rush of sweat that ran down one side of his face, his light hair a disheveled mess from all the running. His presence had sent Zero on high alert.

"Sorry to disturb, Captain, but we've had an incident on board." Jinmu started rapidly.

"What happened?" said Zero as he motioned Jinmu to take a seat and continue.

"It's the girl sir." He started more slowly this time after resting himself on a chair. "After we left, she managed to get pass Cross, and threw herself into the sea. One of the lads went after her, but he lost her when she reached shore and ran into the small forest. No one saw her since then, until one of the cannon lads said he saw that lass going into the Mafia district with the sheriff. I came here to inform you at once."

Silence ensued, before Ichiru broke it.

"Shit."

"You can say that again." replied Kaito shaking his head in disbelief. "Seriously what's that chick thinking, jumping off of a ship and ending up in the hands of the _mafia_? She's starting to become too much trouble than she is worth."

Ichiru nodded with agreement, and let out a sigh.

"What are we going to do, Captain?" asked Jinmu.

All three pirates looked at the silver head that had remained quiet since the news. He had a face of thunder and was clutching his mug a little too tightly. "We're going to go get her back." Zero said with a growl as he rose from his seat, his moonlit glare reflecting a calamitous storm.

"What? We're going to go risk our necks for some chick? Is she really worth it?" piped up Kaito as he sat back in his chair. "I say let her get herself out of the mess, she got herself into it in the first place. Besides, the mafia is probably trying to bait us using her. This is just too much trouble."

Zero knew Kaito's reasoning was the logical one. But his mind refused to accept the notion of letting her be on her own. He was dead sure that leaving the princess alone would lead to extremely fatal consequences. Even if the mafia was using her as bait, and the risks of going through with this were high, Zero was still prepared to make that decision. He wouldn't be able to get over it if he let this go. _Damn that girl..._

Zero turned to look Kaito dead in the eye. "The mafia is _not_ winning one over us. So we're going after her." Kaito averted his eyes in defeat, choosing not to comment. _You're too soft for you own good... _the pirate ate his words.

"Jinmu, go back to the ship and gather the lads up. Meet us down near the square." Ordered the captain, getting ready for battle. "From there it's only five minutes to their base."

"Aye sir." said Jinmu as he quickly turned and scurried out of the bar with his new orders.

"Well there goes a great night." said Kaito with a sigh of disappointment as he gave the blonde a silver coin, which she took with a smile before leaving quickly. Ichiru hurried off to pay the barman before following Zero and Kaito out of the door.

As they left, Zero didn't know if he was annoyed at the princess who was a downright nuisance or at himself for not being able to make the safer decision of leaving her be. He knew one thing though, she was most certainly going to pay for the trouble she was about to cause him and his crew.

* * *

><p><strong><em>AN: Thank you very much for reading this chapter! I would also like to tell you all about my latest Zeki fan fiction project called <span>"A Whisper of Hope"<span>. A link to it can be found on my main page. Please read and review it! Thank you again for all your support! :D_**


	5. Black Cloud Silver Lining

_AN: Yes, we know, we know. The chapter took forever to come out. No really, it just took us 8 months, LOL. /shot. u_u;;; I really don't think we have enough excuses to justify our delay. Both Blood and I have tons of online projects as well as RL so poor Kidnapped suffered as a result of not being #1 on our priority list and also because of our being lazy and procrastinating on this story. :( So, for any of you who're still bothered to follow this fan fic, we apologize. u_u_

_BUT, on to the bright side! This chapter is LOOOONG :D [8200+ words, by far the longest chapter in this fan fic]. Hopefully that'll make up for the delay and all of you readers' patience. Forgive us, pretty please? :3_

**EXTREMELY IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT**

_For any of you who still don't know it, one of our lovely readers drew a Fan Art for this story~! *dances* :D This amazing artist is Peachbum. Readers, DO check out her lovely depiction of our little fan fiction. A link to it can be found on my profile page. :D And THANK YOUUUU, Peachbum. Blood and I are glad to have you aboard this pirate ship. _

_Alright, on to our long awaited journey~!_

_Vampire Knight © Matsuri Hino._

_Kidnapped © Shizza24 and Bloodredhead._

* * *

><p><strong>~Chapter 5~<strong>

**Black Cloud; Silver Lining**

Yuuki had followed the sheriff deep into the very heart of town. However, the further they went, the uneasier she felt, a sense of foreboding starting to creep upon her with each step she took. The sheriff seemed very much on edge himself, as his eyes darted around the place keeping alert to every sound and movement as they walked along a cobbled street. Yuuki's eyes took in the brown, grey scale buildings that leaned inward due to poor foundations; the dirt trodden roads; and the stained window panes in their shabby frames, dirt smearing across that you could hardly see through. It was not a place Yuuki wished she would ever have to visit in her life, yet here she was walking through it for a chance of escaping home. She really wished she could just be back at home already with her family and friends, and...Kaname. Be in the warmth and comfort of their presence, but she was not. The princess held back a rush of tears that threatened to escape her eyes, inhaling deeply to calm herself as she kept on walking behind the sheriff at a slow, cautious pace.

"I'm sorry sheriff, but where exactly are we going again?" she inquired, her eyes going to the hunched figure of the man in front of her after they had walked for some time. The sense of foreboding was increasing in her, and she was hoping that his answer would help dispel the unease inside.

"Erm...just to someone who can help assist us with the pirates." he said, though his voice quivered slightly as he spoke, sending another nervous shiver up the young girl's spine. Something was wrong. Something was terribly wrong. The ominous feeling was creeping into her bones now, and her heart was beating rapidly, her sense of fear rising at the mans evident unease.

Gradually the area they kept walking towards went from fairly well-lit and populated, to rather isolated, dark and sinister. The streets got narrower, the buildings closer and more confined. She saw hardly any indication of life now. They turned a corner, and were about to enter an even shadier alley when Yuuki stopped. This was definitely not somewhere she'd find assistance. "Um, Mr. Sheriff, I think it's best if I head back." Yuuki spoke with a rather scared yet determined tone. She was taking a couple of steps back when the sheriff turned around and roughly grabbed her wrist.

"No, Madam, you are coming with me." His grin was menacing as it spread across his face. Yuuki's already pounding heart was now running like a frenzied horse as she let out a scream and struggled to free herself from the man. But he was too strong, his iron clad hold giving no sway to her attempts at escape.

"Stop it! Let me go!" Yuuki kept screaming as he dragged her along the alleyway, and reached a door into a small, rundown building that looked hardly habitable. He gave the door a few pounding knocks before it opened, and he shoved her inside. Yuuki was dragged down a staircase to a basement in complete darkness, making her feel very disorientated. Another door opened, and the sheriff threw her in, and she fell forward to the ground with a thud, before he said in triumph: "Here she is! The princess who will lead ye to the pirates!"

The scene before her was one that she hadn't even imagined in her deadliest nightmares. Yuuki looked around to see the men present in the shabby room as her eyes adjusted to the dim light. There were almost twenty in number, their statures large and muscular and their clothes worn and shabby as some having scars on several parts of their bodies. A rotten stench of sweat and alcohol was pungent in the air. The murderous intent in the men's eyes was boring into her very soul as they hollered and snickered at her, their faces absolutely terrifying and their sneers shaking Yuuki to her very core.

Looking around the room with a face of utmost terror and dread, Yuuki knew one thing for sure: today, she was definitely going to die.

Another door inside the room banged open with force, and a man walked inside. Yuuki felt a terrified shiver run through her as her eyes took in the man who had entered. He was taller than most in the room, his presence significantly overwhelming compared to the rest, commanding an authority that was to be obeyed. The men in the room immediately composed themselves as they saw their boss making an appearance, sitting up in respect and fear. His dark, balding hair was mixed with strands of white and gray, a thick beard covering his large face and partially concealing a scar on his left cheek. He seemed to be somewhere in his late thirties, small wrinkles spread across his weathered features, and his terrifying blood shot eyes fixed upon the princess as he stopped a few feet from her and examined the woman before him. Saying Yuuki was beyond horrified would be an understatement.

"So, this is the lass, eh?" He bore down at her rather disappointed. "Well, well it's a pleasure to meet you, M'lady." He snickered at her playfully. "I'm Oswald Black, and I've sworn on my dead brother's blood that I'll kill every single one of those pirates of White Lily."

_So that's what this is about? They want to use me to bait Zero and his men._ Yuuki kept her gaze firm as it locked into Oswald's dark, sinister eyes. "Kuran Yuuki, princess to the Kingdom of Elelacia." She kept her voice strong as she introduced herself, despite her pathetic state of affairs.

"Well, princess." Oswald bent down and took her chin in his large, grimy hands. Yuuki flinched, but kept her gaze steady regardless of her discomfort and fear. "I want you to tell me where those bloody pirates docked their ship." Oswald bore into her with a terrifying intensity. He had sent his men to search for White Lily's hideout ever since he'd heard that Kiryuu and his men were in town. But all his searches had been futile. Damn those bastards for hiding their ship where not even god himself could find it. This woman, who had supposedly ran off from the ship and into town was now his only lead to Kiryuu's neck. "If you're a good girl and tell us, we might spare yer life."

Yuuki kept silent as she mentally weighed her options. She could give away the location of the ship, but there was still no guarantee that he'd let her live or get her home safely. She could easily be trading one prison for another, or be a corpse on the morrow. her thoughts went to her next option, she could refuse to give him the location, though he'd kill her for sure for such a rejection. She felt a small guilt creeping inside her chest at the thought of giving the pirates away, and decided that she wouldn't do it. Maybe this was her chance of paying Zero back for saving her life.

Then again, maybe she could bait these mafia men with rewards and money if they returned her back to Elelacia. Kaname would still probably kill them all off regardless of their returning her. Kaname's dealing with these pirates on her return seemed the best option. "I have one condition." She stated, authority riding in her tone. "You will return me safely to my kingdom. I would make sure you and your men are appropriately rewarded."

Oswald gave her a look of disbelief before bursting into a menacing laugh. His men followed suit behind him as they snickered at her, some pounding the tables in mirth. Yuuki kept her confusion and rising fear from showing on her face, but her eyes widened in shock and terror as Oswald removed his hand from her chin to lock it into her messy mud brown hair, pulling it down as she let out a gasp of pain.

"You dumb wench," he hissed in her ear. "Think you can trick me into giving you a ride home?" Yuuki gasped as he pulled her to her feet by her hair, half dragging her as he pinned her to the dirty wall. "You think I'm buyin' your _princess _bullshit? You're nothing but a filthy whore." driving her further into the wall, the scary mafia lord held her face in his rough, dirty hand as he forced her to look directly at his uncouth face, his tone dripping in overwhelming menace. "Now, you better start spillin' your shit, bitch. This ain't yer little doll-house, and that is all you're worth here."

Tears were threatening to fall down Yuuki's eyes as her pulse hammered against her veins from the impact of her head hitting against the wall. Her entire life, she had never known _fear_ in all its entirety as she did now, clutched helplessly within this man's grasp. This was probably her last day on this planet, her last few moments. Yuuki was now doing her best to come to terms with that fact, though her heart cried out. There was no way she was getting out of this one alive.

Blinking back her tears, Yuuki put back on her determined face. If this man thought she was selling the pirates off to him, he was definitely mistaken. For Yuuki knew he was going to kill her either way. And there was no way she was tipping him off right after Zero had saved her life. This was her payback to him for rescuing her from the storm.

"I said spill it, you bitch!" Oswald slapped Yuuki with full force, sending her crashing to the ground. Yuuki felt a traumatizing numbness spreading over her cheek as the sting hit her a moment later, a cool streak of red blood trickling down her face from the impact.

"Even if you kill me, I'm not telling you anything!" She spat back at the mafia boss though her body was shaking, his expression turning from hateful to surprised to absolutely livid at the woman's words.

"Oh I'll make you talk." A sinister grin spread across his face as he walked towards her and grabbed her by her arm as she screamed, dragging her again and throwing her against the hard wood of a small table placed in the room. The men around her were now laughing as they threw obscene remarks and drunken grins her way. Lying on her back on the table top open and vulnerable, Yuuki fought with all she had to push away the large, bulky mafia boss now towering over her, his bearded face inching closer and closer to hers, his revolting, alcoholic breath hitting against Yuuki's face as she flinched in utter disgust.

"Feel like changin' yer mind, lass?" Oswald whispered in her face, sending repulsive shivers all over Yuuki's skin. His large hand was gripping her shoulder, the other one placed on her knee as he slid it further up her thigh, making Yuuki let out another gasp of revulsion. Ripping her hand free, she lifted her arm to strike Oswald with full force, but it was held in mid air by a larger hand and Yuuki turned to see another man standing behind the table, a sickening grin plastered on his face. He grabbed on to both of her arms and pulled them above her head as they hit hard against the wooden table. The rest of the mafia men were also circling around them now, highly entertained by the princess' helpless sight.

"Stop this! Release me!" Yuuki was crying at the top of her lungs, tears of fright cascading down her dirtied cheeks as she struggled fruitlessly. She let out another cry as Oswald ripped her shirt, leaving her undergarments bare under his lecherous gaze.

Unable to bear the brutality of the situation, Yuuki clenched her eyes shut, whimpering as she felt large, rough hands violating her body as they traveled up her waist and tore the fabric of her undergarments, shamelessly revealing her upper body, a few wolf whistles going out from some of the men. Several areas on her torso were hurting painfully as black and blue bruises colored her pale skin from the rough treatment she had received. A large hand squeezed her left breast extremely painfully and Yuuki let out a loud scream only to have her mouth covered by another hand belonging to one of Oswald's disgusting henchmen. More tears kept spilling down her cheeks.

Yuuki's heart was pounding in utter dread, her nerves exploding with a sensation she hadn't even experienced in her deadliest nightmares. A swarm of emotions was filling her senses: fear, pain, dread, horror... to think that her first ever sexual experience would be rape. More tears gushed out of her eyes at the thought. Cold shivers were running up and down her entire being as she continued to struggle aimlessly, crying and screaming for release or rescue but to no avail.

She let out another terrified gasp as she felt a hand tugging at her pants, the menacing strength of the grasp threatening to tear the cloth to its very threads. The princess put up another round of kicks and screams, but her legs were completely trapped by the mafia lord's huge body. After making every possible effort to break free of his clutches and failing miserably, Yuuki was now reduced to just vocal protests as her conscience continued to scream against the sexual assault, her mind a frenzy of utter trauma. This was it... this was the end... a most torturous, vile, bitter-

A sudden shake of the table broke Yuuki's train of thought. The tremors were steadily increasing in intensity. Confused, the princess opened her eyes to realize that the mafia criminals were equally baffled as the entire building began violently trembling around them, a few men shouting out at the shaking ground and building.

_Earthquake..? _

Large pounding noises emanated from above them. In one swift bang, the ceiling crashed down as armed men busted into the room, their faces quite familiar to the princess. A screaching round of gunshots ensued as the front door blasted open... and there he was. Right in front of her, as he stood in all his bad-ass glory, his piercing silver gaze sending an aura of bone-chilling death, and his dark expression colored in a most devastating menace.

The temperature in the room dropped significantly as he stepped inside the semi-destructed building, his silver hair partly covered with a tricorn hat, his messy shirt doing little to hide his toned chest as his conspicuous tattoo added on to his bold persona. A large silver gun rested casually in his hand as his long, black boots pounded against what was left of the broken door on the floor, sending ripples of overwhelming dread in the now silent room.

Yuuki's heart leapt at the sight of Captain Kiryuu and his crew, tears of dread, ambivalence, and relief all threatening to fall, as Oswald's grip became less firm his attention fixed on the silver head who had just crashed his party. Yuuki felt the mafia lord's body tensing, a small gulp rippling down his throat, as he took half a step back. Had Yuuki not been so overwhelmed with emotion, she would have noted the slight fear in his eyes as he glared at Kiryuu Zero.

The pirates were now slowly gathering around their captain, assuming their positions as they anticipated the action just round the corner, their weapons out and ready to battle, their eyes reflecting the calm before the storm. The mafia men, after getting over the initial shock and surprise, had also assumed their own stances, awaiting the orders of their boss in a dangerous anticipation.

"Long time, Black." The Captain's deep, clear voice cut through the heavy silence, a deadly smirk spreading across his handsome face. "I see you rats are still holed up in your filthy shithole."

After a brief pause and a look of utter disbelief and anger at Kiryuu's demeaning words, Oswald broke into a terrifying laughter. "Well, well... what do we have here?" He spoke between his hysteric fits, "Capt'n of the White Lily walking right into my trap... I'd never expected this."

The man could barely contain the rush of adrenaline coursing through his veins. He had planned to sniff out the pirates' location using the girl and get his revenge, but he'd never thought the pirates would be bothered enough to actually come hunting him down instead, lured by this bait of a princess. Had these bastards always been so foolish? To think they'd waltz right into his lair in such a bold, flashy way. Oswald laughed. They'd sure as hell made his job of getting a handle on them much easier.

Zero's eyes flashed quickly onto the young brunette sprawled on the table, a slight flicker in their depths on seeing the state she was in- evoking another distant memory that was better off buried and forgotten- before they grew hard and returned to land on Oswald.

"Trap? Don't make me laugh." These pathetic fools were a thousand years too early to be trapping his men. "I simply came because I don't appreciate you laying your filthy paws on something that is mine." The pirate kept his gaze strong and deadly, sending a shiver up its target's spine.

"Then come and get it!" Oswald let out a huge laugh before signaling his men to attack as they yelled out and jumped into fight, aiming directly at the deadly silverhead.

Zero stood rooted to his spot as his men also jumped forward to engage themselves in battle, adrenaline coursing through their veins as they brutally fought against the mafia men, hungry for blood and a deadly combat.

Yuuki was now sitting on the ground next to the table, watching in horror at the scene unfurling before her eyes, her arms wrapped protectively around her almost bare torso. Never in her life had she ever witnessed the brutality of an armed conflict in such close proximity. Her heart was pounding against her ribcage in a maddening frenzy, her pulse dancing in her veins at the bloody sight.

She gasped as a couple of men swept past her and bolted towards a mud-brown haired pirate. Kaito lunged at the two mafia men, tackling them to the ground before using his fists to make easy work of their faces, while Ichiru who was a few feet behind him, skillfully sliced several men who were trying to escape with his sword, guarding the back door so that the mafia had nowhere to run. The eerie smile on his blood-smeared face sent chills up the princess' spine.

Yagari decked one mafia scum, before lifting a chair to bring it crashing down on another who had been aiming towards a fellow crew member with a knife. "Ye' mafia rats ain't gettin' the better of us." he jabbed, aiming another well aimed fist towards one who came within his reach.

Rocks and wood pieces were falling down on the ground from above them as the broken ceiling cracked even further, dust and smoke enveloping the vicinity. Yuuki looked up, wondering how long the building would hold before it came crashing down on their heads. Her eyes then darted to the silver haired captain who was starting to make his way towards where she and Black were situated in the room, his look menacing, eyes cold. Black moved to intercept, hurling Yuuki's arm till she was once again clenched in the man's iron grip. The princess shrieked in fear.

"Came back for yer lil' doll?" He sneered as a frown formed on his rival's face. "What'cha gonna do if I break 'er, eh?" His strong arm was locked around the brunette's waist and arms, the intensity of his grip hurting her fragile form. His other hand held a sharp blade, the dagger centimeters away from the girl's slim neck.

Yuuki didn't dare move a muscle, her entire form frozen in fear. Silent shivers ran up her spine as she gulped, the terrifying experience hitting her with full force as death stood just _one _centimeter away from her pale neck. Her large cinnamon eyes were filled with terror as they darted toward the direction of the silver-haired pirate, whose eyes were also locked into her own. His lilac gaze was as hard as steel, however, looking into his moonlit orbs in that moment calmed Yuuki's pounding chest._ He's here._

In one swift motion, the Captain came right by Oswald's side, grabbing his arm as he punched him square in the face. Yuuki took the opportunity and jumped back, free from the larger man's clutches as she fell backward onto the floor, her bruised torso covered with nothing but her bare arms and small pieces of her tattered clothing. She angled her head down so that her long, messy hair could cover her back, her face hot in embarrassment, her eyes drowning in fear, but with a small pang of relief as adrenaline coursed through her whole system.

That's when something warm and heavy fell on the brunette's form, blocking her vision as she realized it was a long, black coat. She hugged it against her chest and looked up to see the Captain standing before her, his back facing her as he glanced down at her over his shoulder.

"You okay?" He asked. Yuuki nodded, overwhelmed with so many emotions that she couldn't even decide what to feel in that moment. She was sure of one thing though, Zero's words had really calmed her down, assuring her that she wasn't left to face this alone.

The princess yelped as Black lunged towards Zero, who immediately blocked the mafia lord's dagger with his gun pushing him off as Oswald jumped back to land on his feet. Both captains started to circle one another again, eyes locked on their opponents for any moves, both anticipating the engagement that was soon about to restart.

"What a joke. The Capt'n of White Lily sacrificing his men for some royal wench." Black sneered at the Captain, his deranged grin spreading wide across his face. "You've gotta be kiddin' me!"

"Joke's on you, Black." The silver-haired Captain's devastating smirk was also painted in a hint of menace. "You've gotta be kiddin' me if you think my men can be beaten by those rats you found in the filthy allies."

"You dirty scum-bag!" Black gritted his teeth, jaw setting before he lunged at Zero, eyes colored in a calamitous rage, seeing nothing but revenge for the blood of his brother, and revenge for the blood his countless comrades.

On Black's movement Zero shifted his weight to one side to dodge the first attack aimed his way, while he swung an elbow round to land his own blow. But the mafia boss had anticipated his move already having a hand up to deflect the blow away from his face, as his other fist moved to hit Zero right in the face. The silverhead detected the fist coming his way, managing to duck as he narrowly missed the jaw breaking punch.

Black's fist planted into a nearby beam, cracking into the woodwork that attracted attention from those nearby, some stopping to watch as the two captains went to circling each other again, ready for another round. Zero's hand was armed with a glinting metal gun, a silver just as deadly as his piercing predatory gaze that bore through his opponent's jet black orbs, the latter a cluttered mess of fury and rage, but colored in a tint of fear.

This time Zero made the first move, swiftly shifting to Blacks side before landing a blow to his stomach with the butt of his gun. The mafia boss nearly keeled over, as the wind was knocked out of him. The silverhead then moved behind kicking into the back of Black's left knee which brought him down on his knees.

"What's this, rat? Can't stand a few measly hits?" Zero taunted, moving round in front, his boots clicking against the wooden panelled floor boards.

Black winced in pain, as he felt a sharp spike go through his leg then die down. His stomach felt queasy from the blow he received and his mind was becoming fogged as the anger inside started to boil in frustration. The silver haired bastard was going to pay.

As Zero was about to land another kick, the mafia boss struck, grabbing hold of Zero's leg and tugging, throwing the silverhead completely off balance, which had him come crashing down to earth his head banging hard on the floor. Zero felt the ringing in his ears at the impact, and thought he heard a shrill female scream to one side. Before he could register who had screamed, Black was moving on top of him to pin him down, kicking away the Captain's gun with his left foot. Another flash of silver caught Zero's eye which had his body act on sheer survival instinct, but not fast enough as he felt the blade slice his stomach. Oswald swung his armed hand again for another stab but the Captain was quick to grab the knife's edge and block the attack.

The blade cut into his palm, tearing in painfully, and a dull sting came from the side of his waist, but Zero hardly reacted, accustomed to pain over the years. His eyes set cold and hard as he looked up to his opponent, who looked disbelievingly at the silverhead who held the blade firmly even as blood trickled down his wrist to the floor. Oswald put in more force in his arm and Zero grasped the blade harder as well, using his strength to push Black's arm back, shifting to sit up, and sliding onto his heels as he crouched. Black continued to look at the young man with disbelief that he had bared through the pain to push back, even going as far as to create a deeper, more serious cut to get an advantage, not to mention deforming the steel blade itself in the process. The mafia boss felt a fearful chill run down his spine, as his stomach sunk with fear. There seemed to be no stopping this silver serpent before him. Threats were useless, brawls only ignited a cold fury, and pain seemed to have little effect either. Black couldn't hold on to the knife and was forced to let go of the blade.

On releasing, Zero immediately spun the weapon in his hand and pounced to knock Black fully on the floor. He crouched over him, the blade gleaming in his hand. The Captain discarded the dagger and bent down after picking up his Bloody Rose, putting his foot atop Black's chest as he crushed his boot into his ribs. Black's eyes were wide with open dread, for he could see the bloody fate that awaited him when the deadly Captain put the barrel of his gun against the mafia lord's forehead, his menacing silver eyes flickering in cold flames of a bloodthirsty hunger.

Around him, his men had tamed the mafia criminals as well, every single one of his pirates winning a clear victory over the mafia's men, their boss' defeat forming the highlight of their embarrassing failure tonight.

"Any last words, rat?" Zero's smirk was as deadly as the dark stormy seas, his words followed by a round of snickers from his men. Black stared at the barrel of Bloody Rose, his entire form shaking with fear as words refused to form on his lips. "I suppose not." Zero tightened his finger around the trigger, ready to shoot when-

"Stop!" a small hand gripped the Captain's arm and he looked down to see his captive kneeling beside him, her large cinnamon eyes filled with tears, horror visible on her face.

Yuuki entire body was shaking with dread as she used her free arm to tuck the coat closer. The princess had never seen so much bloodshed in her entire life. The entire room was filled with several fallen men of the mafia; whether they were dead or unconscious, Yuuki didn't know, and wasn't sure if she even wanted to.

"Please... don't kill him." The princess really couldn't bear seeing a life being taken so brutally in front of her very eyes. All the blood spilled in the room was making her nauseous. "Please..." She looked at the Captain with pleading eyes, who was staring back at her with a mixture of shock and annoyance.

The entire room was dead silent now, the pirates and mafia men equally befuddled by the brunette's strange request. All eyes were on the Captain now, as everyone awaited his response in a painful anticipation.

A brief moment passed before the Captain let out a heavy, annoyed sigh, removing his gun from his enemy's forehead. The way Yuuki had looked at him with her large pleading eyes really pissed him off. "You better be grateful, bastard." He spat his words at Black , anger coursing in his veins. "She saved yer ass tonight." He gave Black another hard kick before stepping back and signalling his men to make their exit.

The broken ceiling that had been barely holding up till now finally gave in, the entire structure above them now demolishing as it fell into the shabby room. Noises and shouts wailed across the whole room, panic hitting its occupants along with the falling rubble. Ichiru ran towards the exit and removed the debris blocking it as he opened it for his crew to make its way. The pirates started moving out, just as swiftly as they'd entered the building.

Yuuki watched in utter befuddlement, her eyes not even registering what was going on when in one quick motion, she felt herself being lifted off the ground. She was quick to realize that Zero had scooped her up and thrown her across his shoulder as he, too, darted out. The Captain's muscular arm was wrapped around the princess as he pulled her away from the building, running up the stairs that led to the outside. He pulled up short on the opposite side of the street, releasing his hold of her while turning to Kaito.

"Set it alight." He ordered, eyes hard.

Kaito nodded before moving forward with several men. They put wrapped clothes around the end of some sticks, before pouring alcohol on and lighting a match. Once the torches were away they threw them at the building aiming for the fallen wooden roof, which caught fire almost instantly. The pirates moved back to a safe distance, as they watched the flames spread rapidly across the roof and down into what was left of the building, smoke starting to billow skywards as the rubble of the shabby structure fell into ruins, several men of the mafia running away from it as they fled into the night, defeated and destroyed.

Yuuki felt her body warm from the heat of the flames, as she watched them wrap around the wood beams that held the roof up, hearing them crackle as they came crashing down. She took a deep breath as a shudder ran down her spine, tugging Zero's coat closer to her form, inhaling a fresh scent that clung to the material. Her eyes looked up to find Zero still standing next to her, his eyes reflecting the flickering flames of the building he watched burn. He looked down and their eyes met, their intensity rivaling those of the feasty flames reflecting in his eyes.

"This is the _last_ time I'm ever cleaning your mess." said the silver haired captain in a low, menacing tone. "The next time you pull a stupid stunt, you're getting out of it yourself."

Yuuki hung her head low and averted her gaze, her face colored in embarrassment. She gave the Captain a meek nod, her mind still numb from the terrifyingly dangerous situations she had came across today. Zero gave her a hard glare. The woman before him was shaking with fright, her face pale, eyes wide with fear. She probably had never been into such compromising situations, living like a pampered royalty her whole life. However, for someone who had lived her life inside a royal dollhouse, she was surprisingly daring, and stupid to top it off. The pirate sighed. He was definitely annoyed at the trouble she'd given him today, but he decided to let her off this time. The girl looked terrified out of her wits, and he too, was too exhausted to give her a tough time.

"All of you, back to the ship." The Captain ordered his crew as his men returned . "It's about time we get the hell outta here."

**~OxOxO~**

Yuuki sat in the cabin she'd been locked in, slowly removing the coat she'd borrowed from Zero to survey the damage done to her body as a result of her escapade today. Every single muscle on her fragile form hurt like hell, and she winced as she touched some of the bruises on her arm. Her cheek was also scraped from Oswald's slap, and it hurt when she touched it. It felt swollen and there was probably a bruise there too. There were other minor cuts on various parts of her limbs as well, but nothing too serious. Her heart still thumped wildly when she recalled her terrifying encounter with the mafia today. Never in her life would she ever forget such a hair-raising experience. A shudder ran down the brunette's spine.

Her thoughts then wandered to her silver-haired rescuer, and she definitely didn't deny admitting that she owed him big time on this. Yuuki sighed. But he had still kidnapped her in the first place. Her mind was a sea of many conflicting emotions. She did however realize that this was the second time Zero had saved her life from her own stupid actions. Her mind drifted on his strong grip as he'd held onto her tightly, protecting her from what could have been the worst fate for any girl on this planet. Maybe he wasn't so bad after all? No. She couldn't buy that. He certainly wasn't as bad as those mafia bastards, but Yuuki was sure he still only did it because of the fat ransom he was hoping to get once he returned her. Well, he was a pirate who had kidnapped her after all. But for someone who was holding her hostage, he was definitely rather soft. Yuuki told herself that the situation could have been a lot worse, and that she should be thankful that he even treated her fairly humanly. Confused, annoyed, exhausted and yet relieved, Yuuki decided it was time she dismissed all these troubling thoughts for later. She'd had enough for one day.

The princess heard someone fiddling with the lock on her room and she yelped and covered herself quickly with the oversized coat just in time as the door opened, revealing a silver head that was the source of all her troubles, yet her rescuer at the same time. Yuuki gave him an annoyed look.

"Don't just barge in here." She said, tucking the coat as she wrapped her arms around her, every movement of her limbs sending a pulse of acute pain down her nerves.

"My ship. My rules." He smirked as he stepped inside and closed the door behind him, his action troubling Yuuki even more. What the hell did he want now?

Her eyes travelled to his hands where she spotted a bag in his grip. "What is that?" She asked without thinking.

"You're in no position to be asking questions, _Princess._" She really hated it when he called her that. Yuuki gave him a cold glare, only to earn another mocking sneer at her rebellious attitude.

"Don't call me like that. I have a name." She retorted.

"Nobody's taking orders from you." He walked further into the small cabin as Yuuki took a tentative step back. He had already rescued her twice, so she knew he wouldn't harm her too badly. But Yuuki still wasn't willing to let her guard down around him.

"You know, I was actually feeling thankful for today, but your attitude just makes it impossible." The way this man mocked her really pissed Yuuki off.

"Well then, maybe I should have left you at the mercy of those rats." He came closer and Yuuki stepped back, slowly colliding with the cabin wall behind her. The room sure was tiny, but Yuuki had bigger problems to worry about than the size of the place. Her gaze was intently locked into the deep lilac eyes of the Captain, refusing to budge an inch as she looked up at his towering form. His large fingers silently brushed against her chin and slowly traveled up her jawline, sending Yuuki's pulse fluttering in her veins as the close proximity of his handsome face sent shivers up her spine. "Maybe I should've let them break you like a little china doll." His voice was barely a whisper now, low, deadly.

Yuuki clenched her eyes shut, her heart pounding against her chest. Images of Oswald's disgusting hands roaming over her body were still fresh in her mind, her conscience scarred forever; and the way the Captain was treating her didn't make it any better. She knew that she couldn't escape from his grasp even if she tried and that only served as a painful reminder of the fact that she was completely at his mercy, or anyone else who could get a hold on her. Had he not come in to save her, she would've been dead. And if he decided to kill her right there, there was nothing she could do to defend herself. Even if she was royalty, even if she was a princess, in this cruel, dark, savage world, she was nothing more than a weak, helpless, worthless little girl.

The brunette's eyes were stinging as she did everything in her power to control her tears, her lower lip slightly quivering as the horror of being nearly raped today sent fresh waves of fear throughout her conscience. She inched her face as far from the Captain as she could- which wasn't much given she was sandwiched between him and the wall- her eyes still closed, brows knit in a deep frown as heat pooled on her face.

Suddenly Yuuki felt something cold and wet sting on her bruised cheek and she snapped her eyes open to see the Captain wiping it clean with a piece of cotton, his intense eyes focused on her swollen wound. When had he gotten that? More importantly... why was he doing it? Yuuki stared at the silver-haired male with utter shock and befuddlement. The wound hurt, but something else more overwhelming was pooling in her chest at his actions.

Once done, he turned and put the swab back into a first-aid box that he'd placed on the bed. He took out a small bottle and showed it to her. "This is to clean your wounds. And there's cotton and bandages in here too. If there's any injury that you can't bandage yourself, then say so now."

Yuuki just stood there dumbfounded, and Zero stared her for a few moments, awaiting her reply with slight annoyance, before she snapped out and gave him a nod. "I can do it myself... and... uh.." She said in a meek voice. "Thank you." _There, I said it. _Embarrassment was visible in her cheeks.

"You can say that again." He smirked, thoroughly amused by his captive's priceless reactions.

"I'm only saying it once!" Yuuki replied, extremely flustered, and annoyed at the Captain's large ego. His piercing gaze was colored in an amusement that really pissed her off. He was wearing a black jacket over his usual white cotton shirt, which was unbuttoned halfway as always, displaying his chest in a rather indecent fashion.

He bent down to pick up the bag he'd discarded on the floor when Yuuki caught sight of something deep and crimson staining the side of his shirt underneath the jacket.

"Is that blood?!" She didn't even realize when she'd rushed over to him, holding his coat out to see the wound. His shirt was dyed deep red on the side of his waist.

_Ah... that Oswald guy must have injured him when he attacked with the dagger... _A pang of guilt washed over her.

Zero immediately pushed her hand away, frowning as he shoved her off. "It's just a scratch." He was turning around to leave when she stopped him again. Yuuki noticed his expression now, deciding that he was definitely paler than before.

"Silly, how can it be a scratch when it's still bleeding?!" She gave him a cold glare before taking in a deep breath and gripping his arm, leading him away from the door and back in. "Let me... let me see it. I'll bandage it... since I'm to blame for it." She stuttered, her cheeks flushing red at her bold suggestion.

It was the Captain's turn to be shocked now, as the princess pushed him down to sit on the small bed, swiftly removing his jacket and examining the wound, sitting on her knees before him as she did so. Even she didn't know what she was doing, but Yuuki knew one thing for sure, she couldn't just leave him be, not when his wound was a result of her own stupid actions.

Once his jacket was pooled over his hands that he'd rested on the bed at his sides, Yuuki's gaze landed on the top buttoned button of his shirt, and she gulped audibly, cheeks flushing even deeper at the notion of unbuttoning the Captain's shirt. Oblivious to her, said Captain was thoroughly amused by the changing expressions on her face. He decided that the woman before him was definitely interesting, whether in a good or bad way, he didn't know.

Yuuki was still lost in her own embarrassed confusion when to her relief, Zero started unbuttoning his shirt himself, saving her from a whole lot of awkwardness. His chest was chiseled with a rigidly masculine perfection, muscles well toned, and smooth skin that was tainted with a scar or two here and there. But Yuuki was too focused on the crimson wound on the left side of his waist. The princess had never really seen or treated wounds, but the injury looked pretty bad to her.

Forcing herself not to panic, she took the small bottle Zero had shown her just now, and poured the liquid out on a big piece of cotton that she picked up from the medicine box. Once the piece was soaked, she daubed it over the wound on Zero's side, cleaning it up as best as she could while it still bled. Pressing the cotton on the cut as firmly as she could, Yuuki then took bandage strips from the box beside her to wrap them over the the injury, her face getting dangerously close to his collar bone when she looped her arms around his waist to pull the bandage over from the other side.

She looked up, and was rather flustered to see Zero's clear amethyst eyes focused intently on her, his expression calm as he watched her in silence. The eye-contact barely even lasted a moment for the pirate averted his eyes the very second they'd met with hers, his expression as nonchalant as ever, betraying the tense awkwardness that surrounded their situation. Yuuki ignored her shooting pulse and focused again on the bandage that was now tightly wrapped around the Captain's waist. She tied it in a firm knot, slightly pleased with her handiwork. Though a professional would probably have treated him better, Yuuki's bandage wasn't badly done either.

_This should stop the blood flow._ She moved back, sighing in relief. The wound hadn't been very deep, so it wasn't life threatening. She surveyed the Captain and noticed another cut on his palm. The princess grunted in annoyance. This person really wasn't the type to pay attention to his health at all, she concluded. She took his wrist and glared at him, before cleaning his palm with another cotton swab and bandaging it as well. "You could at least have bandaged this cut." She scolded. "I can't believe you're so careless when all you always seem to do is getting into fights."

"Oh, so now you're worried about me?" He teased, an annoying smirk forming up his lips.

"What?! Of course not." She retorted in disbelief. "Like I said, this is only payback for your helping me out back there. So don't even think about anything else." She bore her glare into Zero's playful eyes. He snickered, pissing her off even more.

She let out an annoyed huff before standing up and closing the medicine box. The bruises on her legs still hurt from the movement, and her muscles ached as well. She'd treat her wounds once the Captain left her alone, she decided. Zero also stood up and buttoned his shirt, putting his jacket back on as he picked up his bag and moved to leave. But he stopped, turning back and looking at his captive once again.

"I almost forgot..." He said as he fished inside the bag with his uninjured hand and took out a piece of fabric before flinging it across the room to Yuuki who caught it last minute. The princess held out the clothing too see what it was. It was the ugliest thing she had ever seen. Her face was colored in utter disbelief.

The dress was an intense puke green, a color Yuuki would never wear if she had the choice. It was rather plain and didn't have any frills or designs like the dresses Yuuki wore back at the palace. There was just a bright orange, weird-looking lace around it's hem, which she concluded would end just below her knees. Good lord it was ugly.

"Where did you get _this_?" Her expression was painted in an almost traumatized shock.

"Back in town. I picked it up from the trash." He lied, his smirk getting even deeper at her reaction at this information. As if anyone would ever throw an un-torn, fully stitched piece of garment in the trash, especially in a poor town like Talbort. But the naive princess had bought the lie without a second thought, horror clear on her face as she surveyed the fabric. The Captain held back a chuckle. This was too much fun.

"That's disgusting!" The dress was so ugly, it really was no wonder someone had thrown it away. Yuuki held her nose up high in the air, extremely angry at how she was being made fun of. The utter thought of even touching a fabric out of the trash of such a shabby town made her insides churn in disgust. "There's no way in hell I'm wearing this... this _thing_."

"You can throw it away if you want. But I need my jacket back." He stated, still thoroughly humored.

Yuuki stared at him angrily, too pissed to even answer. He gave her one last sneer before turning around and opening the door, exiting and locking it back up. There was never a moment when he didn't manage to get on her last nerve. _Damn that jerk!_ The princess looked at the dress as another rush of anger swept down her spine and she threw the fabric away, the garment hitting the wall and landing on her small bed.

Back at home, Yuuki had never worried about what dress to wear everyday, for she had maids who helped her in and out of all her clothing, and a designer who decided all of her outfits for her. She hadn't even known how many different dresses she owned, never even thinking about something so basic as keeping herself well-dressed.

Yuuki sighed. She couldn't go on wearing Zero's jacket forever. And her own dress was too tattered, worn and smelly from her dip in the stormy sea. She sat on the bed and slowly picked up the dress she'd discarded moments ago. She surveyed it from inside out. It wasn't worn, neither did it have any tears or holes. The fabric was manageable too. She sniffed it, and was somewhat relieved that it didn't smell bad either. It looked clean. It would have to do. As disgusted and angry as she felt at this, the princess knew she was simply out of other options.

Yuuki didn't realize when she had lied down on the stiff bed, sorrowful tears now rolling down her face and into the quiet darkness as night fell. Her thoughts wandered to her parents, and she wondered what they would be doing right now; they'd probably be worried sick about her. Sadness at the memory of their loving faces engulfed her as more tears spilled out of her eyes. Kaname... she wondered what he was doing. Maybe searching for her everywhere like crazy. He had always been extremely overprotective of her, to an overbearing extent. But now Yuuki somewhat understood why.

Or maybe she was being too hopeful. What if Kaname had already found someone else to live his life with, forgetting about her entirely? Her eyes landed again on her empty left ring finger, and Yuuki cried even harder. Her life... where was it headed now?

**~OxOxO~**

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><p><em>AN: <em> Please don't mind the awkward action scenes. I'm not good at writing action *hides in a corner*. But other than that, <em>I hope you enjoyed this chapter! :D If you did, please REVIEW. We love them~ Hopefully, the next chapter will be out in a decent amount of time, and not take us forever. n_n;;; Don't forget to check out Peachbum's fan art, and leave us a review!_

_Note: Bloodredhead made a Thank You page for you lovely readers. Isn't she such a sweetie? ^^ Please don't forget to go to my main page for it; you'll find a link to it on my profile. :) _

**_Miscellaneous Shameless Promotion:_**

_- Readers, do check out my Zeki Doujinshi (mini comic) called "A Smile from Your Heart" which can be found on my DeviantART account. A link to my DevART is on my profile page. The short comic is set after the VK manga ends and is just a small, romantic dose of fluff which I hope you will enjoy. Feedback is appreciated. I've also posted up another Zeki fan art on my DeviantART. Do check that out as well. Again, comments are love. :)_

_- Also, do read my other Zeki fan fic collab called "A Dream of Sunshine" that I'm co-writing with LeVampireCat. :) (Can be found on my main page)_

_Till later~_

_-Bloodredhead and Shizza24_


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